Not only do industrial activities and transportation emissions contribute to CO2 emissions that harm the environment, but even our daily living activities play a part in this issue. The carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), produced by human actions.
What You Need to Know About Carbon Footprint
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A Carbon Footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted from the production, use, and end-of-life of a product or service. It includes carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the most emitted gas by humans, along with other gases such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), and fluorinated gases (F). These greenhouse gases affect human health and trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming.
There are many causes and factors contributing to the carbon footprint.
The term “Carbon Footprint” was first introduced at a meeting of the Yosemite National Park Energy Committee in 1979. However, it wasn’t until 2007 that the term became widely used in the IPCC’s scientific reports on climate change.
There are multiple causes and factors contributing to the carbon footprint, primarily stemming from human activities both directly and indirectly. Directly, this includes activities that use fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel to operate vehicles such as cars, motorbikes, and trains, or electricity to power electronic devices like televisions and air conditioners. Indirectly, when you use any item that requires energy for its production, such as food or clothing, it contributes to your carbon footprint. Typically, the largest portion of an individual’s carbon emissions comes from transportation, housing, and food.
The carbon footprint is known in English as Carbon Footprint.
How to Calculate Carbon Footprint
Understanding that the Carbon Footprint is a compilation of gases that can negatively impact human life raises the question of how we can identify areas with high carbon footprint concentrations versus those that are safe. Researchers must have specific methods to calculate the Carbon Footprint, which can be expressed as follows:
The calculation of the Carbon Footprint must be based on various fixed parameters, including living area, daily lifestyle, types and levels of energy consumption, types of technology used, and many other factors. The best method for calculating carbon emissions is based on an individual’s fuel consumption. Ultimately, the total CO2 emissions are added to the individual’s Carbon Footprint.
Calculating the Carbon Footprint requires considering many factors. (Source: sustainableprinceton.org).
For example, if you use a motorcycle to travel a distance of 200 km on the highway with a fuel consumption rate of 2.5 liters per 100 km, the calculation would be as follows:
- The total distance of 200 km will consume: 2.5 x 2 = 5 liters of gasoline.
- Each liter of gasoline is estimated to emit 2.3 kg of CO2.
From these parameters, we see that the motorcycle trip over 200 km will result in an increase of 5 x 2.3 kg = 11.5 kg of CO2. This figure will accumulate into the annual Carbon Footprint. In Vietnam, the average Carbon Footprint reaches nearly 1.18 tons per person per year.
To limit and control environmental pollution levels, each country has different regulations regarding emission standards; particularly for vehicles like cars. Vietnam, as a developing country, faces increasing pollution levels with a high number of vehicles in large cities, making the implementation of automobile emission standards essential.
Why Should Everyone Reduce Their Carbon Footprint?
All discussions surrounding the Carbon Footprint ultimately aim to assess how much impact individuals, businesses, or governments can have on greenhouse gas emissions that affect the environment.
In reality, the connection between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is too clear to overlook. Global average temperatures are rising, extreme weather events are becoming harsher, sea levels are rising, and acidification is occurring. All these ecological threats are a result of human activities.
Increased greenhouse gas emissions lead to climate change. (Source: aarp.net).
By reducing carbon emissions, you can contribute to lowering overall greenhouse gas emissions. In our fight against climate change, everyone needs to make small adjustments that can lead to significant outcomes.
It’s not just about the environment. Reducing your carbon footprint can lead to a healthier lifestyle and help you save money. Whether it’s cleaner air, healthier eating, or lower monthly energy bills, the benefits of reducing your carbon emissions also mean that you are doing your part to combat climate change.
Measures to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Reduce Dairy and Beef Consumption
One of the factors contributing to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions comes from agriculture and livestock farming; many assessments suggest that these factors may exceed those from fossil fuels. These emissions largely arise from the production processes for beef and dairy, leading to a significant Carbon Footprint. It is estimated that producing 1 kg of beef results in CO2 emissions equivalent to what a car would emit over a distance of 27 km.
Red meats, especially beef, notably impact the Carbon Footprint by producing emissions that are five times greater and consuming eleven times more water compared to poultry. Therefore, one way to limit the Carbon Footprint is to reduce the consumption of red meat and dairy products and instead opt for vegetables, grains, and a plant-based diet.
Limit Personal Vehicle Use
Another significant factor impacting the environment is transportation, leading to an increase in the carbon footprint due to CO2 emissions released into the environment daily, particularly in large cities where the rate of personal vehicle ownership and traffic intensity is high. Instead of driving your own vehicle, consider walking, cycling, using electric cars, electric scooters, or taking public transport. Choosing environmentally friendly electric vehicles is also a solution to reduce carbon emissions from fuel consumption during travels.
Major cities around the world are investing in developing public transport infrastructure to reduce CO2 emissions from cars while meeting the growing demand for transportation as populations increase. Public transport options like buses, subways, and trains can help reduce emissions by up to 37 million tons of CO2 annually.
Switch to Clean, Sustainable Energy
Currently, most energy used to operate machinery and equipment necessary for human life comes from fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. However, fossil fuel resources are limited, and these fuels also significantly contribute to the Carbon Footprint, as burning them releases pollutants that contribute to air pollution and accelerate climate change.
To reduce reliance on fossil fuels and conserve natural resources, we can shift towards clean and sustainable energy sources such as electricity, wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
To support our everyday activities, we can utilize electric motorcycles and electric cars instead of fossil fuel-powered vehicles such as gasoline and diesel.
Planting Trees
Areas rich in greenery provide a refreshing air environment.
Greenery is always one of the crucial factors in improving the environment, contributing to a clean and beautiful world. Places abundant in trees offer a fresher air quality and help limit harmful substances that impact human respiratory health. Whether you live in a house or an apartment in an urban area, planting some types of decorative green plants is a quick and easy way to reduce carbon emissions. We all know that plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which is very beneficial for human health.
Research indicates that each tree can consume nearly 24 kg of CO2 per year. Therefore, creating more space for greenery or planting various green plants is a solution to improve air quality, helping to cleanse dust and reduce carbon footprint, thus cooling the atmosphere.
Turn Off Electrical Devices When Not in Use
Studies show that the annual emissions from electrical devices on standby in households in the UK can reach up to 800,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. To reduce the carbon footprint caused by electrical devices, the simplest way is to completely turn off or unplug all devices when not in use.
Implement the 5R Principles to Avoid Waste
Saving and avoiding waste of resources and energy is a highly effective solution to combat climate change. Practicing the 5R principles involves three core principles: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Here are the details:
- Refuse – Avoid: Steer clear of single-use plastics and paper products by saying “No, thank you,” and choose items that can be reused.
- Reduce – Cut Consumption: Decrease the size of what you buy and pay more attention to what you truly need.
- Reuse – Find Ways to Reuse: Always look for ways to reuse an item by keeping it in good condition, repairing or upgrading it when it breaks.
- Rot: Set up a composting system for leftover food or find a food scrap collection center (like a farmers’ market or community park) near your home.
- Recycle – Recycle Properly: Ensure you recycle any plastic, paper, glass, or metal items correctly, reducing or reusing materials.
Limit Fast Fashion Consumption
Fast fashion refers to clothing designed based on fleeting trends from fashion shows or celebrity styles. These fashion products are often inexpensive and continuously change.
The production and consumption of a large quantity of fast fashion clothing significantly impact the carbon footprint due to the costs associated with shortening production times; this leads to higher emissions of CO2 into the environment than normal production levels. Additionally, using cheap, toxic dyes in fabric production also pollutes water sources.
