by Lenna Gonya

Created on: August 24, 2010

Every individual and every organization has a carbon footprint, or, the amount of carbon dioxide that they produce over their lifetime in greenhouse gases.

This carbon footprint can be the direct source of the fossil fuels we burn, or the indirect result of the products we use and their effect on the environment. Either way, it is believed that the amount of units in our carbon footprint will eventually affect the climate, if they are not decreased, by changing the atmosphere and altering the amount and intensity of sunlight that reaches earth.

Many people have taken a test to see just what their carbon footprint is, and how they can contribute to the cause by decreasing their numbers. Of course, there are no end of green methods available to help decrease the carbon emissions. For individuals, the biggest source of their carbon footprint is in their homes, and the use of electricity and other fuels. However, other factors may include such things as the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and the products we purchase.

The use of synthetic products, plastics, and other non biodegradable products increases our footprint, as does the use of non sustainable materials in clothing, household furnishings, and building materials. The food we choose also has an impact, when you take into consideration the availability, the method of growing, and the way it is harvested and transported. Meat products have a higher carbon unit than vegetables, since they are from living creatures that are also producing carbon dioxide.

In order to reduce their carbon footprint, a lot of people are offsetting it by certain practices in their daily lives such as recycling, avoiding unnecessary use of energy, eating organic products, and using materials in and around the house that are sustainable.

Industries and businesses are also involved in decreasing their carbon footprints, and many have shown some real progress in their manufacturing, packaging and transportation practices, not to mention in the products that they produce. These businesses are further encouraged to apply new practices since they are regularly listed, according to their “greenness.”

Ideally, those who believe that greenhouse gases are having an effect on the climate would like to see every individual and industry reduce their footprint as much as possible, however, there has been some debate over just how much that may entail. Some argue that even if everyone reduced their carbon footprint, there would be very little change in the climate, or at least none that would show up for the next few hundred years.

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