How to reduce and offset your carbon footprint
World Environment Day was on the 5th June 2008, so it seems like a good time to talk about how we can all do something to reduce our impact on the environment.
No matter how small your contribution, every little thing we do to reduce our carbon footprint makes a difference.
No matter how small your contribution, every little thing we do to reduce our carbon footprint makes a difference.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
Wikipedia states that....
A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product"
. For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted.
The concept and name of the carbon footprint originates from ecological footprint discussion. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17wwln-safire-t.html The carbon footprint is a subset of the ecological footprint and of the more comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
An individual, nation, or organization's carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it, e.g. by technological developments, better process and product management, changed Green Public or Private Procurement (GPP), Carbon capture, consumption strategies, and others.
The mitigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting.
New Igo GREEN Tip of the Day
What is Carbon Offsetting?
A carbon offset is a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Although there are six primary categories of greenhouse gases, carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.Renewable energy projects are the most common source of carbon offsets
Read the rest of the explanation on Wikipedia.
Here's my favorite link:
Reduce your rubbish at work
Advice from the New Zealand Government
So what's the problem?Over 50 percent of rubbish thrown into landfills in New Zealand is from businesses, including shops, offices and factories.
Like rubbish from your home, much of the rubbish from businesses can be recycled and doesn't need to end up in a landfill - including clean paper and cardboard, some plastics, glass, metals and food scraps.
What can I do about it?
Become a Rubbish Reduction Champion at work and look for ways to reduce rubbish in your office or factory. You could even save your company money by reducing the amount of rubbish taken away.
You can reduce rubbish at your work by:
1. Reducing the amount of paper you use by sending documents electronically, using double-sided copying and printing or reusing one-sided copies for drafts
2. Reducing rubbish from lunch packaging by bringing reusable containers from home
recycling paper, plastic and glass in your office and lunchroom
3. Organising a recycling collection for your office or factory - check with your local council for options in your area
4. Setting up a worm bin at work or taking food scraps home for composting.
Visit the New Zealand Government Website for more tips and advice.
What one business is doing to reduce their carbon footprint
Nomads Fat Camel Backpackers Hostel in Auckland wants to make a difference, and while they realise that they can't completely eliminate their impact on the environment they are trying to encourage the international travellers that are staying with them to be more environmentally aware.
The small things they are doing include...
The small things they are doing include...
- signs reminding people to switch the lights off when they leave the room
- signs recommending that guests turn the taps off whilst they're brushing their teeth
- signs on the kettles asking them to only fill the kettle with the amount of water they need.
- reducing the amount of paper used by using chalkboards instead of printing posters
- recycling bins in all of the backpackers apartments and the TV lounge
- replacing all light bulbs with energy efficient ones
- sensor lighting in the two laundry rooms at the hostel
- signs asking people to reuse their global gossip phonecards
- providing backpackers with re-usable cloth shopping bags so plastic ones aren't used
Green Signs at Nomads Fat Camel Backpackers Hostel
Signage to remind international travellers to be aware of their impact on the environment
curated content from Flickr
Save the Environment and Money!
Being more environmentally aware inevtiably means that you'll help save the planet as well as your own cash.
Energy Efficient light bulbs may seem more expensive in the short term, but they last way longer so in the end you save money.
Insulating your house incurs an initial cost, but the amount of heat you no longer lose means that your heating bills will come down!
If you insist on using a dishwasher, use it when it's full, the dishwasher uses almost as much power when its half full so why not wait until there are more dishes.
Tumble - drying your clothes is one of the most costly ways to dry. Line - dry your clothes and you'll save heaps of cash and reduce your carbon footprint.
Energy Efficient light bulbs may seem more expensive in the short term, but they last way longer so in the end you save money.
Insulating your house incurs an initial cost, but the amount of heat you no longer lose means that your heating bills will come down!
If you insist on using a dishwasher, use it when it's full, the dishwasher uses almost as much power when its half full so why not wait until there are more dishes.
Tumble - drying your clothes is one of the most costly ways to dry. Line - dry your clothes and you'll save heaps of cash and reduce your carbon footprint.
Eco-friendly kitchen products
Go Green in the kitchen and check out some of these eco-friendly products
Environmentally friendly products
Eco-friendly electronics
What Makes These Electronics Green?
All of the electronics featured in the Green Store on Amazon are ENERGY STAR qualified, which means they help fight global warming by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--all without sacrificing quality or performance.
All of the electronics featured in the Green Store on Amazon are ENERGY STAR qualified, which means they help fight global warming by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--all without sacrificing quality or performance.
Carbon Dioxide - the main greenhouse gas
Almost half of the carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas which causes climate change, actually come from the things we do every day.
Things like leaving lights on unnecessarily or overfilling the kettle all waste energy and result in needless carbon dioxide emissions.
Things like leaving lights on unnecessarily or overfilling the kettle all waste energy and result in needless carbon dioxide emissions.
Every day energy saving
There are simple actions you can take every day and night to use energy more efficiently.
Get started with these easy actions that will cost nothing and save energy:Switch it off - turn appliances off at the wall instead of leaving them on standby and remember to unplug mobile phone chargers too when you've finished using them. This could save you up to $100 a year.
Choose when you use - instead of having your heated towel rail on continuously, use it for only a few hours per day. You can save $70-$140 a year by doing this.
Pull the plug on your second fridge - you can save up to $300 a year by getting rid of your old inefficient beer fridge or freezer.
Check your hot water temperature at the tap - it should be at 55 degrees Celcius. An extra 10 degrees, for example, could cost you up to $140 a year.
Make use of the sun - dry your laundry on the clothes line whenever possible instead of using a dryer.
Keeping windows clean and free from overhanging trees is another way of taking advantage of sunlight to warm your home.
Rinse dishes with cold water instead of rinsing them under the hot tap.
Close the curtains just before dark to keep the heat in.
Use the right sized saucepan for the element when you are cooking, so heat doesn't escape around the sides. And use a lid to keep the heat in.
Stop the drips - fix any dripping hot taps by replacing the washer or fitting.
Use the wood burner - if you've got a wood burner or pellet burner, it's generally cheaper heat than electricity.
These fantasticly simple tips were taken from EnergyWise New Zealand
There%u2019s also some low-cost actions you can take:
Buy bright - replace your four home's most-used bulbs with energy efficient ones. They cost around $6 each but last up to 10 times longer. Doing this can save around $65 a year.
Save water and energy - install an energy efficient, low-flow shower head. This could save you up to $500 a year if you use a lot of hot water.
Stop draughts sneaking in and out under doors with a draught stopper. Block your fireplace off too if you are not using it.
Use thermostats and timers so your heaters, including heat pumps, only come on when you need them and automatically turn off once the right temperature is reached.
Save water and energy - install an energy efficient, low-flow shower head. This could save you up to $500 a year if you use a lot of hot water.
Stop draughts sneaking in and out under doors with a draught stopper. Block your fireplace off too if you are not using it.
Use thermostats and timers so your heaters, including heat pumps, only come on when you need them and automatically turn off once the right temperature is reached.
by Fat-Kate
I've been living in New Zealand for 3 years and feel like I've found home.
I'm a keen traveller and before I arrived here on a one way ticket I tra... (more)
I'm a keen traveller and before I arrived here on a one way ticket I tra... (more)
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