When did you last check what your carbon
footprint is? I did it as part of an activity for a MOOC I am studying for at
the moment and the results really surprised me!
My carbon footprint was 5.12 tonnes per year - it's just an estimation, but it's a great indication. I was
not surprised by the fact that it was lower than the average for the UK (which
is 9.8 tonnes a year). I don’t own a car, and live in a rather small city where
I can go to most places by bike. Also, my partner and I are rather careful with
our energy consumption.
What surprised me most was that it was my secondary carbon
footprint (and not the result of my occasional flying) that was the highest at
4.12 tonnes a year. These are all lifestyle choices!
This means there are quite a few small things I can do:
- eat less meat (although I probably eat meat 3 times a
week, not more)
- buy more organic food and seasonal food – which I try, but
it isn’t always available
- be more consistent when buying vegetables – no
packaging!
- recycle more!
- reduce recreational activities that aren’t zero-carbon
I checked what choices exactly had the biggest impact on my
carbon footprint.
I found these to be ‘recreational activities’. I find it
difficult to imagine to change that drastically. Even if my town is rather good
at providing more environmentally friendly activities such as the Food Cycle, I like going to the
local! Maybe we could see more community-led zero carbon activities!?
I also should make more efforts when buying food. I am on a
low income, so buying organic local food can be tricky! I will start by trying
to cook more vegetarian meals!
So, what are you going to change?
