Tread Lightly
“Carbon footprint” is another one of “those terms” that comes out when you’re speaking with your sustainability enthusiast friend. With bright eyes, they tell you about how they’ve reduced their carbon footprint. You nod your head at all of the right moments, but in your mind you’ve created a cartoon with Big Foot as the main character, and now you see him dancing lightly on his tip toes like a ballerina. He’s reducing his footprints, too. As the conversation comes to an end, the last thought on your mind is “What in the world is a carbon footprint?!” No worries, OFS is here to help you understand.
What is a “Carbon Footprint?”
In simple terms, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is produced by using unsustainable sources (i.e. fossil fuels) to create energy (i.e. gas for cars). The carbon footprint measures how much CO₂ is produced by actions such as that. This is a vast generalization, but it provides an easy understanding. Carbon dioxide is also produced naturally, but it is the over production of carbon dioxide that creates problems such as the steady rise of the globe’s temperature. The rising temperature affects everything in the world, from the melting of some glaciers to the failure of some crops. Please do not assume that CO₂ is single-handedly the cause of all issues; it is one of many factors. Just realize that the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and other CO₂ producing habits is creating more pollution than the world can sustain. All of the pollution then causes issues in natural processes that keep the world in balance.
Carbon dioxide is measurable, and the amount produced by everyday processes such as driving cars and running factories can be calculated. A banana that you picked up from the big box store across town has a larger carbon footprint than the vegetables you get from your local farmer’s market because the local produce required less carbon dioxide producing actions to get it from the farm to your house. It is understood that the less CO₂ we use, the better off the world could be.
Wright, Kemp & Williams wrote in the “Carbon Management” journal that carbon footprinting is
“[a] measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions of a defined population, system or activity, considering all relevant sources, sinks and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population, system or activity of interest. Calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) using the relevant 100-year global warming potential (GWP100).”
Reduce your Carbon Footprint
As the adage goes, even one person can make a difference when they change their actions, but strength works best in numbers.
How can you contribute to this strength?
- carpool and/or use public transportation
- reduce your intake of red meat
- unplug appliances that you are not using – they still consume energy
- use a water bottle and purified water filters for your sink/pitcher instead of buying bottled water or use a hydration station!
- turn off the lights when you are not using them
- walk or ride a bike instead of using a car
- calculate your carbon footprint with a website generator and devise a plan to reduce it
- Check out this page on campus resources to help you in a sustainable lifestyle