It’s crucial to make sensible decisions for a cleaner today and greener tomorrow. In every area of your house, you’ll likely discover multiple gadgets, appliances and fixtures that depend on the electric grid for electricity. Collectively, they affect your carbon footprint more than you may think. Converting to lower emission alternatives will help you reduce your carbon footprint while being a better caretaker for the environment, lowering your dependency on power and on electronic gadgets.
But this goes well beyond planting a tree or recycling. The timing is perfect now to reduce your carbon footprint and to adopt a varied, low-carbon energy mix to power our homes and businesses. You may conserve energy in a variety of ways, including by insulate your house, install solar panels, and plant trees. However, the following are the simplest and most straightforward adjustments you can make to your home to do so. They don’t need a lot of time or money, so let’s start with them
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What’s a carbon footprint?
To calculate a product or service’s carbon footprint, and to reduce your carbon footprint, you add up the emissions of greenhouse gases throughout each stage of the lifecycle, from manufacture to disposal. There are several gases that contribute to global warming, including carbon dioxide (the most prevalent human emissions), methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Transportation, housing, and food account for the share of an individual’s carbon footprint.
To get started, you’ll need to know these things:
- About how many miles each mode of transportation covers.
- Your home’s energy use.
- How much money you spend on clothes.
- Your dietary intake and composition.
You can calculate your carbon footprint here.
Regardless of your score, there are a few things you can do to assist the environment and reduce your carbon footprint.
How to reduce your carbon footprint?
There are times when climate change might be overpowering. The science is complicated, and there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to the long-term effects. Even though true solutions will need global effort, you can take steps to reduce your own influence on the environment by making better choices in your everyday life. We gathered 26 tips that will help you reduce your carbon footprint while being environmentally friendly, let’s get to them:
Watch how you commute
Going a year without a vehicle may save around 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide – almost as much as a roundtrip transatlantic journey. What can you do to wean yourself off of the use of a car? To reduce your carbon footprint, try using a rail, bus, or even better, a bike to go about town. If you can’t avoid it, check the following tips:
- 1. Driving more effectively helps lower pollutants, so take it easy on the throttle and the brakes.
- 2. Make sure your tires are in good condition. Emissions may be reduced by keeping tires inflated properly. It will cost you more money in the long run if your tires are underinflated.
- 3. Using air conditioning and driving a lot in a city might lead to an increase in emissions. Reduce them as much as you can.
- 4. Using cruise control when driving long distances may save you money on petrol.
- 5. Don't pack your automobile to the gills with unnecessary items for your journey.
- 6. You may reduce your carbon footprint by riding in a carpool with other individuals.
- 7. If you use public transportation often and go home to see family only sometimes, your carbon footprint may be sustainable, but if you drive and fly a lot, your emissions will be much greater.
On your kitchen
As convoluted as food systems are, experts generally agree that reducing one’s meat consumption, particularly red meat, is a healthier decision for the planet and will help you reduce your carbon footprint. As a result, the production of red meat consumes a lot of resources such as feed, water and land. Methane emissions from cows are also emitted (a harmful greenhouse gas). If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, it all depends on what you’re eating, and how much of it you’re consuming.
- 8. Try a vegan or low-meat diet: red meat has an environmental effect of up to 100 times that of plant-based diet. It's estimated that beef emits almost six pounds of carbon dioxide every serving; by comparison the quantity of carbon dioxide produced per serving by rice, beans, carrots or apples is under half a pound.
- 9. Eat local. The majority of greenhouse gas emissions are generated during the manufacturing process rather than the transportation of the food.
- 10. Take a look around. Organize your fridge on a regular basis to ensure that you don't purchase products that you don't need.
- 11. Don’t buy bulk. Low-priced food may seem to be a fantastic bargain, but if you don't consume it before it spoils, it isn't.
- 12. Plan. Prepare only as much food as you'll be able to consume. Make sure you have enough food for the number of people who will be dining.
- 13. Get out of your comfort zone. Instead of throwing away food waste, consider repurposing it.
- 14. Freeze. Frozen vegetables, fruits, and herbs, such as fresh herbs, have a longer shelf life than unfrozen ones.
- 15. Take home what you don’t eat.
Smart changes at home
You may reduce your carbon footprint at home by making simple changes to the insulation and design of your house, and by being more energy efficient. whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor. Before you begin, you may want to conduct an energy audit or hire an expert to evaluate and score your home’s energy use. Even the tiniest tweaks may have a tremendous impact, since it will also help you reduce your carbon footprint.
- 16. Ensure that your house is properly insulated. The attic, windows, and doors are just a few places where heat and cold might escape.
- 17. Install a roof that's cool to the touch. Reflective material is used to keep your home cool by reflecting light away from it.
- 18. Plant trees and plants in and around your house for aesthetic purposes, but also to get some shading. If you have an older house, this is a simple and attractive way to improve your insulation.
- 19. Windows, doors, and skylights all have different energy-efficiency ratings. Consider getting rid of those that don't fit today's requirements.
- 20. Turn the temperature down. If you have access to one, set the thermostat to a timer or smart device. Close the curtains to help maintain a constant temperature inside.
- 21. Decrease your water heater's temperature to 120º Fahrenheit.
- 22. When you're not using something, turn it off. To save even more energy, remember to turn off all of your appliances at the wall outlet. Second best is to put them on standby mode.
- 23. Stream movies in a TV.
- 24. Instead of a desktop computer, go for a laptop. Laptops are more energy-efficient in terms of charging and operation.
- 25. Replace the bulbs. In comparison to incandescent bulbs, LED lights use up to 85% less energy, have a lifespan up to 25 times greater, and cost less to operate and help you reduce your carbon footprint.
- 26. Never lower the temperature of your refrigerator or freezer lower than is absolutely required. Fresh food should be stored between 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, while frozen food should be kept at 0 degrees. Unplug the old fridge in the garage when you don't need it to keep things cool.
Replace fossil fuels with green energy
Coal-burning power plants, which provide more than half of the nation’s energy, are the single greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Deregulation of the energy market has given you the opportunity to make a difference in your energy provider selection, which is a blessing if you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
Take advantage of a green energy supplier that utilizes renewable sources including solar, wind turbines, geothermal, and hydropower. If you’re looking for a new energy supplier, keep in mind that, at Click2Power, we help you find the best green energy alternatives for your home.
