Climate change is here to stay. But it is still in our power – as individuals, businesses, cities and governments – to influence just how serious the problem will become.
Whether you are an individual, an organization, a business or a government, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions, the total of which is described as your carbon footprint. You may think you don’t know where to begin, but by reading this, you have already begun. Indeed, some quite simple ‘no regrets’ measures can more than halve the daily emissions of an individual, with even bigger cuts possible if sectors like power suppliers and automobile makers as well as aviation and appliance manufacturers contributed more to the greening of global lifestyles. Individuals who reduce their energy consumption and thus their climate impact also save money. On a more macro-economic level, economic opportunities arise from measures taken to reduce GHGs: insulating buildings for example will not only save energy costs, but also give the building sector an enormous boost and create employment. While some sectors might suffer increased costs, many will seize the opportunity to innovate and get a step ahead of their competitors in adapting to changed market conditions.
Some low-carbon lifestyle choices at home, in the office and when traveling include:
.Waking up with a traditional wind-up alarm clock rather than the beep of an electronic one - this can save someone almost 48 grams (g) of CO2 each day;
.Choosing to dry clothes on a washing line versus a tumble dryer - a daily carbon diet of 2.3 Kg of CO2;
.Replacing a 45-minute workout on a treadmill with a jog in a nearby park. This saves nearly 1 Kg of the main greenhouse gas;
.Opting for non-electric toothbrush will avoid nearly 48g of CO2 emissions;
.Heating bread rolls in a toaster versus an oven for 15 minutes saves nearly 170g of CO2;
.Switching from regular 60-Watt light bulbs to energy-saving ones will produce four times less greenhouse gas emissions;
.Taking the train rather than the car for a daily office commute of as little as 8 km will save a big 1.7 Kg of CO2;
.Shutting down your computer and flat screen both during lunch break and after working hours will cut CO2 emissions generated by these appliances by one-third;
.Investing in a water-saving shower head will not only save 10 liters of water per minute, but will also slash CO2 emissions resulting from a three-minute hot shower by half;
.Reducing the weight of goods and items carried onboard by airline passengers to below 20Kg could cut global GHG emissions by two million tonnes of CO2 a year.
.Choosing to dry clothes on a washing line versus a tumble dryer - a daily carbon diet of 2.3 Kg of CO2;
.Replacing a 45-minute workout on a treadmill with a jog in a nearby park. This saves nearly 1 Kg of the main greenhouse gas;
.Opting for non-electric toothbrush will avoid nearly 48g of CO2 emissions;
.Heating bread rolls in a toaster versus an oven for 15 minutes saves nearly 170g of CO2;
.Switching from regular 60-Watt light bulbs to energy-saving ones will produce four times less greenhouse gas emissions;
.Taking the train rather than the car for a daily office commute of as little as 8 km will save a big 1.7 Kg of CO2;
.Shutting down your computer and flat screen both during lunch break and after working hours will cut CO2 emissions generated by these appliances by one-third;
.Investing in a water-saving shower head will not only save 10 liters of water per minute, but will also slash CO2 emissions resulting from a three-minute hot shower by half;
.Reducing the weight of goods and items carried onboard by airline passengers to below 20Kg could cut global GHG emissions by two million tonnes of CO2 a year.
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