A Tidbit about Carbon Footprints

It’s no surprise that more people are starting to take the troubles of climate change seriously, and are already adapting to some measures in altering their lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint. These decisions have a “hit or miss” sort of influence that may prompt people in their circle — such as family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers — to do the same. It is always positive news when more people turn to experts, trusted sources, and fact-based studies and plan to do their part on minimizing their carbon footprint, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The question is: what exactly is a carbon footprint?

In layman’s terms, it is the amount of carbon dioxide (or any GHG of equal value) that an entity produces. This “entity” could be an individual, object, place, group — anything that has the potential of emitting any GHG, no matter how small. The more GHGs you are producing, the bigger your carbon footprint, and vice versa.

When we look at what contributes to our carbon footprints, the sources and factors are broad and multi-layered and (as mentioned before) could be tallied to your footprint through direct or indirect means. These factors can come from — among a handful of possibilities — the electricity you use up, the vehicle you ride or drive (if any), and even where you live and the food you eat. So…