Climate change, that we are witnessing today and its effects are troubling because undoubtedly, we all know somewhere that we cannot evade it. Like death, it has become invincible.
Instead, we are only capable of adapting to the threatening changes or can mitigate through averting several planet’s man-made challenges.
Associating Climate change to just carbon emissions is limiting the scope of its actions, there needs to be a comprehensive way to tackle this on every front possible.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi was quite right when he said this.
Nations or regions can make their pledges to serve Mother Earth right but is it just okay to let someone else be the scapegoat when we all, though differentially, but heavily effecting our surroundings.
Considering the vulnerability and under pressure from awakened citizens, different nations of the world are trying to control and account their emissions to become carbon negative or neutral in the long run.
Let’s understand what are these terms associated with Climate science.
Carbon positive, Carbon Negative and Carbon neutral: A long way to go
Carbon Neutral: It is a condition where an entity (individual or corporation) balances out the carbon it emitted through funding an equivalent amount of carbon savings elsewhere in the world. It is also known as Carbon offsetting.
If you can’t simply minimize your emissions, pay to get those neutralized using some other activity such as climate-beneficial projects.
Carbon positive is like moving ahead of Carbon zero by additional “positive” contributions back to the source. It is a marketing term and confusing, since various organizations use this term to denote Carbon zero and Climate positive. Therefore, being redundant, its generally avoided.
Carbon negative: is actually doing a little extra to limit global warming. On path to this state, one is not just limiting one’s emissions but also creating an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
This term is used in consonance with “Climate positive”.
Carbon footprint: the way to self-correction
Like a footprint that I may leave behind, this term is nothing but the amount of greenhouse gas (carbon-di-oxide and methane) an individual leaves behind while undertaking any activity. For instance: eating food, walking, driving etc.
Every entity on Earth and beyond has a footprint to leave behind, that can be measured and assessed for better future because everything is in constant competition with each other to occupy a productive space in one’s Biosphere.
That is why the carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels may tend to accumulate in our atmosphere, when there is no capacity in the biosphere to absorb it (using trees).
According to Climate Scientists, to have the best chance of avert a global crisis under 2℃ rise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint per year needs to be under 2 tonnes by 2050.
The concept has derived from “ecological footprint”, older idea invented in the early 1990s that defined an impact on Environment in terms of the area required to sustain any activity or population.
Calculation of Carbon footprint and its due importance:
In short, the carbon footprint is the the weight of CO2(primarily) measured in tonnes which has been released into the atmosphere due to an activity done by individual, a group, a nation or a group of nations.
It is to note that carbon emission is not the only commodity used under Carbon footprint calculation, it even checks the emissions in consumption.
For instance, a country’s carbon footprint can increase even as carbon emissions within its borders decrease because it may be importing goods embedded with emissions in the manufacturing country.
Carbon footprint in US per person is 16 tonnes per year while the global average is approximately 4 tonnes. This transition will not be easy or fast enough so that a few more threats could be forestalled.
But basic changes in our behavior can limit carbon emissions’ forever growth.
Primary and secondary footprint:
“Primary” carbon footprint represents the emissions over which one has direct control such as burning of fossils, transport emissions etc.
While the indirect ones compose “secondary” carbon footprint, the ones arising out of consumption of goods and services or food production.
Calculation deals with measuring these daily activities and assessing them using Carbon footprint calculators available worldwide.
It is seemingly important to calculate one’s footprint because through this, one can know how ones university can contribute to worldwide climate change.
Upon identification of creation of these emissions and the ones where one can reduce emissions, is an asset to oneself and the planet.
Heavy carbon footprints indicate high level of natural resource depletion, that at times cannot be replenished. Being constantly responsible for degrading condition of the planet, is anyhow spiteful and not to be proud of.
It includes all that energy, greenhouse gas and waste that has been generated to support an extravagant lifestyle. Limiting one’s additional needs always come with additional benefits.
Since carbon emissions compare and compete with Human demands on our planet, such as food, fibers, timber, and land for dwellings and roads, reducing it has become need of the hour.
Reduction of Carbon footprint: difficult but possible
Once we have known our areas of weakness, it’s time to root them out using 5 best ways available:
Practice the 5 R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, rot, recycle: Zero waste generation is one of the greatest ways to restoration of Earth’s glory
One can conserve water: lesser wastage of a universal elixir
One shall eat seasonal, local fruits and more plants in diet, anything that consumes lesser energy to breakdown.
Switching to sustainable, renewable form of energy
Practice resilience and resistance for a lavish carbon-emitting lifestyle
Done this, one’s a champion of maintaining one’s lifestyle, just the way this Earth and its beings may appreciate.
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