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8 tips to breathe cleaner air and reduce carbon footprint

Do you know the impact of leaving the mobile charger plugged, and how much does a microwave contaminate? Our carbon footprint is what indicates the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that we emit individually. It is a simple way to measure the impact that a person generates - directly or indirectly - on the planet in their day to day. It’s about calculating the amount of GHG emissions (greenhouse gases) counted in units of carbon dioxide that are released into the atmosphere according to their daily activities.

From Get Up and Goals! we want to help reduce the carbon footprint. That is why we have compiled a series of tips on how to reduce our carbon footprint, by reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gases that we emit in excess.

Please, read here the original version of this article, from our partners of Get Up and Goals! Spain.

Save energy

It is common for us to leave the chargers plugged in, even if they are not being used. If we leave it connected, we continue to consume energy. The same happens with the rest of the electronic products that we keep connected: television, computers, music devices... The simple gesture of turning off the lights or devices that we will not use in a reasonable amount of time reduces consumption and, therefore, the emissions.

  1. Consume local and seasonal products
    By consuming local and seasonal products, large shipments of goods are avoided and the carbon footprint is reduced, fair trade is generated and the agricultural lands of our town are kept active.
  1. Use cloth bags when you go to the supermarket
    Plastic bags take about 150 years to degrade. At this point, we all know that one of the biggest enemies of the planet and ecosystems is plastic waste. When you go to the supermarket, you can use a backpack or cloth bags or that in addition to being reusable, they are more resistant.
  1. The 3 R`S
    Remember to use the 3Rs of ecology, so reduce what you consume, having a responsible consumption, reuse all the materials you can as many times as you can and, finally, recycle the materials that are recyclable, taking them to the corresponding containers or points clean.
  1. Less plastic
    Reducing the demand for plastic would reduce emissions, especially if combined with renewable energy. Instead of buying plastic bottles, use thermoses or glass bottles that you can wash and reuse thousands of times, helping the planet thousands of times. We can use silicone bags and lids instead of using paper film to cover food and plastic tuppers to store food.
  1. Use transportation alternatives
    Surely on many occasions it is enough that we take a moment to think about the distance of travel we have to do before leaving home. Many of them may not need us to move our vehicle, and by doing so, we are only getting more CO2 into the atmosphere. On other occasions, cycling or public transport can become a more ecological and economic alternative.
  1. 21 degrees on the thermostat
    Today we are very fortunate to be able to enjoy heating in our homes, but that does not mean that we have to abuse it when, outside, the thermometer is in negative values. In winter, if you have to ventilate the house, close the heating before opening the windows. It is also advisable to regulate the thermostat at 21 degrees, a temperature more than pleasant to set. In addition, you will save more, since, for each degree of more, consumption increases by around 7%.
  1. Cook with head and efficiently
    There are many occasions when we can adjust the cost of electricity or gas. For example, if we are preparing something in the oven, remember that we can turn it off a few minutes before the food is ready, it will be finished and it will keep warm with the residual heat. And if you have to heat something already done, it is better to use the microwave instead, consume less (energy and money).
  1. Reduce meat intake
    National Geographic published an article on this same topic this week. In it, the magazine explained that reducing the consumption of both meat and dairy products could reduce by two thirds the carbon footprint of the food we eat. The study entitled The global impacts of food production and published in 2018 in the journal Science by scientists from the University of Oxford, pointed to a very significant fact: at least 25% of annual greenhouse gas emissions correspond to the sector of food.

  

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Last modified on Wednesday, 11 September 2019 17:13