Quick recap: carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat close to our planet, causing it to warm up. The average Aussie has a carbon footprint (AKA the emissions we’re responsible for) of 15 tonnes per year, according to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research. For context, we should each be aiming for two tonnes a year, say folks at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, to reduce global warming by 2°C by 2050. Here are three simple ways to reduce your footprint.
1. OFFSET YOUR EMISSIONS
Travelling by air? By working out what your flight puts out there, you can purchase “credits” from a project that prevents or removes an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases elsewhere. You can do this through the airline when you book your flight, or look at a group like Gold Standard, which supports various initiatives.
2. VEG OUT
Eating a plant-based diet is one of the biggest moves we can make to lower our individual emission of greenhouse gases, according to a joint report by Lund University and the University of British Columbia.
3. WALK THE TALK
According to the Climate Council, transport serves up 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, with cars responsible for half of this. Where you can, catch public transport, lift-share or walk.
Work out your footprint using the World Wildlife Fund’s tool and complete the Waste Less Workbook to give your home a complete sustainability overhaul.
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