How can we effectively reduce our carbon footprint?
Over 1,000 scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have some thoughts.
This climate science arm of the United Nations highlights the causes of climate change and how to mitigate it. You can read a digestible version of the IPCC’s latest findings in its 2014 Summary for Policymakers. The next IPCC reports (AR6) should start coming out next year.
The policymaker summary explains that the main human contribution to climate change is the consumption of fossil fuels (i.e., oil, coal, natural gas) for energy. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases (GHG), including carbon-based molecules like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, into our atmosphere.
Drilling down a bit (pun intended), The Guardian and climate scientist Richard Heede identified 20 fossil fuel and energy companies responsible for a third of the total carbon emissions since 1965. Most are government owned.
With much of our carbon emissions coming from huge corporations and government entities, how can any of us make a difference?
Columbia University’s Earth Institute lists broad categories to help you assess your current lifestyle and provides tips to minimize your carbon footprint. How you go green will look different depending on your circumstances. More than anything, reflect on the major ways you contribute to carbon emissions and identify steps you can put into action.
1. Food
o Consider that vegetarian or vegan life. Purchasing and consuming less meat and dairy means less CO2 and methane from feed production and processing.
2. Clothing
o Buy less new and more second-hand clothes. 80lbs of the apparel we each throw away per year produce methane as they decompose in landfills.
3. All purchasing habits
o Use reusable bags at check out and support environmentally conscious businesses when possible.
4. Home
o Energy is a large contributor to carbon emissions. Think about how to be energy efficient at home. Swap out incandescent light bulbs for more efficient LEDs. Use less hot water, keep your thermostat a bit higher in summer (or use fans) and slightly lower in winter.
5. Transportation
o Find greener forms of transportation when you can. This may mean biking or walking more, or using public transportation instead of driving yourself. If you fly a lot for work or pleasure, this is likely the biggest part of your carbon footprint. When you have to fly, go non-stop (landing and takeoff use more fuel) and sit in economy class (more people are transported per flight in economy compared to business class).
6. Carbon offsets
o Financially support climate protection projects and organizations.
So you make all these lifestyle changes. Then what? The major carbon producers are still massive fossil fuel and energy companies.
7. Political Action
o Like it or not, we all play a role in getting the policy and law makers to prioritize reducing carbon emissions while moving us toward more sustainable energy solutions. This means voting and getting politically involved at the local and national level to let your representatives know your stance on climate change and carbon emissions.
References:
Taylor, M. & Watts, J. (2019). Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions
IPCC. (2014): Summary for Policymakers. Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Edenhofer, O., R. Pichs-Madruga, Y. Sokona, E. Farahani, S. Kadner, K. Seyboth, A. Adler, I. Baum, S. Brunner, P. Eickemeier, B. Kriemann, J. Savolainen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow, T. Zwickel and J.C. Minx, eds.). United Kingdom and New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers.pdf
Cho, R. (2018). The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint. https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2018/12/27/35-ways-reduce-carbon-footprint/
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