My Carbon Footprint Pledge
By- Rochelle van Wyk
Determine your carbon usage now!
In order to reduce your carbon footprint, it is important to firstly understand how high your carbon usage is. Take this quiz as an estimate and then look at the suggestions below in order to reduce it- http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
A few basic thing that can be done at home:
- Turn off the faucet while brushing or shaving, and set your geyser on a timer so it isn't unnecessarily heating water. These simple changes can save millions of liters of water annually and reduces you electricity usage.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Many containers, wrappers and bottles often go to waist. Recycling can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the extraction and processing of raw materials has on the environment.
- Eat less meat and more vegetables. Try to increase the amount of vegetarian meals or eat poultry instead of beef, as poultry is less greenhouse intensive then beef.
General:
- Switch off all unnecessary and unused appliances to reduce electricity usage.
- Think when buying appliances. Look for appliances with the ENERGY STAR label as they are recognized for having superior efficiency.
- Use local products, as this reduces the gasses produced when shipping them.
"Global warming is not a conqueror to kneel before, but a challenge to rise to. A challenge we must rise to." - Joe Lieberman