Reducing the Carbon Footprint

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Because carbon footprints are such hot topics in the news these days, it's an ideal topic for this particular paper. As concerns about global warming and potential climate change have continued to evolve the term "carbon footprint" has become ingrained in many people's consciousness. Though the large Fortune 500 companies focus on reduction of their own carbon footprints, individuals can help in their own small way as well. But what is a carbon footprint? Basically, carbon footprints are defined as the total amount of greenhouse gasses that are produced when it comes to supporting human activities (and which are expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide) (What is a carbon footprint?). Driving a car, heating one's house, even buying certain types of food and goods can add to an individual's carbon footprint (What is a carbon footprint?). The problem here is that many people laying down heavy carbon footprints can have a definite negative impact on the environment and potentially, global warming and climate change (What is a carbon footprint?). When most people think of reducing their carbon footprints, the big things come to mind first – such as not driving a car, or shivering through the winter without turning the heat too high. Others believe that buying certain types of foods, such as organic foods, can help reduce carbon footprints. This isn't true, however – evidence is starting to surface that organic farming can actually consume more energy, and end up leaving a larger carbon footprint than more conventional farming methods (Morrison, 2010). The reason here is because industrial farming, or conventional farming, maximizes efficiency, meaning there is less time and effort spent on growing foods (Morrison, 2010). Furt... ... middle of paper ... ... In short, reducing one's carbon footprint doesn't involve grand, sweeping gestures. It can be small, such as setting aside a portion of one's lawn for a vegetable garden, or turning off a light when leaving the room. It can involve buying energy-efficient appliances, and powering down computers. Performing these small activities can build up to a reduction of the carbon footprint in the long run. REFERENCES Morrison, Willie (2010, February 15). Buying organic? Not so fast. Feedstuffs, 5-7. Priesnitz, Wendy (2008, July-August). Tear up your turf . . . and plant a veggie garden. Natural Life, 62-63. Reysa, Gary (2008, February-March). Eight easy projects for instant energy savings. Mother Earth News, 54-60. What is a carbon footprint? (n.d.). Time for Change. Retrieved 2010, June 4 from http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition.

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