8 Practical Ways On How to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

8 Practical Ways On How to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

We know that there changes happening in our environment, summer is getting hotter and hotter each year that unfolds. Extreme weather events is the new trend in different parts of the world, thus affecting that lives and livelihood of many, even our countries economy.

Clearly, the Climate Change that environmentalist is talking about begin to affect our day-to-day existence. As what had said by Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo “Climate Change threatens the planet but the planet itself will survive…what is at stake here is humanities ability to live on this planet.”

So, how do we able to respond to this?

We need to act, we must plan and work together but this required concerted effort of everyone in order for us to manage and adapt to this changing environment.

These practical tips were helpful and can be easily done. If everyone who can read this will take into action and be able to share it with family, friends and the community, then rippling it to the nation and to the world can produce a sustainable impact to everyone.

Under the framework of sustainable development, we have two responses that can help turn around our planet from a hotter to cooler one. First is Mitigation or reducing our carbon. Second is Adaptation, reducing the risk.

Will address first, reducing our carbon.

Let’s do this practical ways that we can do to help.

1. Energy Conservation

• Shut off the lights and air conditioner when you leave a room (ex. office, school classroom, conference room)
• Un-plug appliances after using.
• Ensure closing the refrigerator after putting or getting things to store and use.
• Regularly scrape ice build up of your freezer. Compressor read the set air temperature of a freezer not the ice that is building up the side walls. Ice temperature is at zero degrees, while set temperature of a freezer is measured to negative temperature (-15, -18 or -20⁰C), thus reading a zero degrees temperature will render the compressor to work longer than standard and eventually damaged the freezer.
• Fully charged mobile phones hours before your sleep. Charging it overnight will eventually shortens the lifespan of your batteries and consumes more electricity.
• Set computers and laptop to hibernate and sleep. Enabling this feature on your computer will use less power during periods of inactivity
• Use fluorescent light instead of incandescent light bulbs
• Use stairs instead of elevators especially if you are from ground floor to 2^nd floor.

2. Shift to alternative, renewable energy

• Solar power, having our homes powered by solar energy will reduce our electricity cost in the long run. Make use of the Sun; get his power the natural way.
• Wind Power, wind energy releases no pollution to our air and water.
• Hydropower, there is power in water.

3. Promote non-motorized transport

• Walking, walk through on the next street or building. Take the opportunity to flex your muscles.
• Biking, use it as alternative transport in going to office if you can, or going to a market.

4. Stop open burning of agricultural fields and solid waste

• Black carbon release harmful effect to the atmosphere (NCBI )

5. Water Conservation

There are several ways to save water and it all start with us.

• Shorten your shower or use pail to take a bath.
• Turn off faucet tightly after use
• Use a glass of water when brushing your teeth instead of flowing open faucet.
• Use wash basin when washing plates and utensils, don’t let the water run while rinsing.
• Water your garden in the morning
• Turn off the faucet while you lather your hands.

6. Water recycling and re-use

Recycling water protect our water ground and aquifer. Water recycling is treating and reusing wastewater, grey water and storm water for non-drinking purposes in and outside the home, in industry, for irrigation and agriculture. (Water for Life)

• Water from rinse clothes can be re-use to clean our toilets, driveways and waterways
• Collected rainwater or storm water can be filtered and use in washing clothes, cleaning our cars, homes and water gardens and lawns.

7. Practice Ecological Solid Waste Management

• Composting
• Recycling
• Re-Use
• Trash to cash (ex: paper trash to paper charcoal)

8. Support effective watershed management to protect the sources of our waters.

• Plants tress

By taking this action in our day-to-day life and rippling it to our community would bring a bigger impact to the world. It will help mitigate the effects of Climate Change and allowed us to live in a cooler environment that would greatly benefit the next generation.

Act now.

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Related Post that you may like:

Climate Change Impact, will I survive or one of the casualties?

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PhotoCredit:

Didier Vidal

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 Energy Conservation Tip:  “Fully charged mobile phones hours before your sleep. Charging it overnight will eventually shortens the lifespan of your battery and consumes more electricity.”

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