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Today’s changing life style has a considerable impact on the environment and also has an effect in climate change. The main responsible component is emission of huge quantity of greenhouse gases that get produced during the usage of electricity, transportation, cooking, burning and consumption of various grades of products and various Industrial applications. This may be called as carbon footprint which leads to Global warming. Therefore one should understand what exactly the meaning of Carbon footprint is and how it is effecting the global warming and how we can contribute to prevent the adverse effect of Global warming by controlling Carbon Footprints.
• Many of our actions generate carbon emissions, which contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change. For example; when we drive a car, the engine burns fuel which generates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. Even if we heat/cool our house with electricity, the generation of electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. During the production of the food and goods some quantities of CO2 also get emitted.
Other greenhouse gases, produced by human activities
• Methane (CH4), emitted by agriculture, energy exploration, decay of organic waste, production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil etc.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O), produced by various agricultural and industrial practices and combustion of fossil fuels.
• Tropospheric ozone (O3), created by the reaction of sunlight with human-produced pollutants from vehicles and power plants.
• Fluorinated gases like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and other halocarbons such as perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – generated from chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other industrial processes.
• Various studies have been conducted across the globe for measurement of Carbon footprint that expressed as greenhouse gas units in terms of carbon dioxide (1lb carbon dioxide = 0.2729 lbs of carbon), as well as converting other greenhouse gases into units of carbon dioxide based on their relative global warming potentials. The best way is to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions based on the fuel consumption.
• For example: If car consumes 7.5 liter diesel per 100 km, then a drive of 300 km distance consumes 3 x 7.5 = 22.5 liter diesel, which adds 22.5 x 2.7 kg = 60.75 kg CO2 to our personal carbon footprint. Conversion factor may be considered as per litre diesel produce 2.7Kg CO2 similarly per litre petrol produce 2.3 Kg CO2.
• Each of the following activities add 1 kg of CO2 to our personal carbon footprint:
• Everyone has a responsibility to the world where we live in for reducing our emissions or even reversing climate change— but with booming world economies and era of industrialisation, our carbon emissions are on the rise. Concerned individuals are required to take appropriate action on a personal level for more effective solution.
• Trees play major roll in offsetting our emissions – Emission is inevitable but Trees are green machines that act as natural filters of our air. Through the process of photosynthesis they absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their trunk, branches, leaves, roots, soil and foliage, while releasing oxygen in the atmosphere and also regulate local and regional rain fall. All individuals are required to focus on tree plantation and forest development which can off set some of our carbon footprint.
• We are individually responsible for generation of green houses gases and control of carbon footprint. We can considerably reduce CO2 emission by practicing energy efficiency, Reuse, Recycle and reduction of waste generation in our life cycle. Some of the examples are as given below.
• 8) Avoid using of plastic bag by opting bag made of cloth.
• 9) Using pressure cooker and micro ovens rather than conventional type.
• 10) Reuse or repeated use of handling or packing materials.
• 11) Recycle of waste product as far as possible.• We all need to control our carbon footprints
with eco-friendly activities and there is no better place to start from, than our own homes and can also be extended in various action in our daily life for better future;
At Home Action by individual for better future life:
• At Home: Get your house in order• Process of Recycle, Reduce & Reuse whereever possible.• Turn off electrical appliances whenever it is not require.• Switch to renewable energy- Non-polluting green electricity.• Save paper and minimise waste.• Enjoy the sun- Clean power station by fitting solar panels on
the roof.• Building or renovating your home- Designing Green
Buildings• Get your house audited- Energy audit for electric and gas
• All individual as well as Government machineries are equally responsible to counter the situation for better life in future, rather we can say “Carbon Footprint is a black shadow on Mother Earth”. So "Save the Earth from Pollution & Global Warming”.