The majority of people in the world rely on fossil fuels such as coal and oil to provide electricity and transportation. As these fuels are used, they release greenhouse gases, which collect in the earth's ozone layer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide makes up 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Your carbon footprint measures how much you contribute to greenhouse gases through your everyday activities.
Electricity Use
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, electrical power generation is responsible for nearly 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The more electricity you consume, the more you increase your carbon footprint. While some electricity is necessary for lighting your home or using your computer at work, many people waste a great deal of energy in their electrical consumption choices. Leaving the lights on when you leave a room, or relying or inefficient appliances, leads to increased carbon emissions. Stanford University estimates that you may contribute an additional 950 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year simply by leaving your computer on at night instead of turning it off.
Heating and Cooling
Most heating and cooling systems rely on some form of fossil fuels, which expand your carbon footprint every time you use them. An inefficient home can have a dramatic effect on the environment. Poorly insulated homes or those with lots of air leaks and unsealed wall penetrations allow heated or cooled air to escape. This means you're using much more energy than you need, and expanding your carbon footprint even further. ABC News says that according to the stopglobalwarming website, turning your thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter or up 2 degrees in the summer can save up to 2,000 pounds of carbon emissions each year.
Transportation
You increase your carbon footprint each time you rely on your personal vehicle instead of choosing more eco-friendly modes of transportation. According to Middlebury College in Vermont, you produce about 1 pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you drive. Driving fast or allowing your car to idle produces even more emissions.
ABC News estimates that as much as 3.5 percent of total carbon emissions can be attributed to air travel.
Waste
Overconsumption and lack of recycling increases your carbon footprint in three major ways. First, manufacturers must rely on virgin materials instead of recycling existing products. This requires additional energy for transportation, extraction and manufacturing. Second, as trash decomposes in a landfill, it produces greenhouse gases such as carbon and methane, which pollute the air and contribute to global warmly. Finally, as landfills become full, people are forced to devote new areas of land to waste disposal. This often means land clearing and deforestation. Because trees offset some carbon dioxide emissions during photosynthesis, the fewer trees there are on the earth, the more greenhouses gases will eventually reach the ozone layer.
With all of these factors combined, you could reduce your carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds simply by recycling half of your garbage each year, according to Stanford University.
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