Global Warming - Your Carbon Footprint Articles | Global Warming

By: J.Morgan

On the subject of global warming, you may have heard talk about your carbon footprint and how you can reduce it. So what exactly is this "carbon footprint " and what does it mean to you? A carbon footprint is the amount of CO2 that a person releases in their lifetime. Your lifestyle and energy use will impact on your carbon footprint.

There are many free carbon footprint calculators on the Internet and these are great for calculating your average carbon footprint and helping you to reduce it. Once you know what your carbon footprint is, you can begin to look at the factors that are contributing to it and ultimately learn how to reduce it.

Here are some things that you can do to help reduce your carbon :

Always switch off the light when you leave the room
Unplug electrical devices when not in use
Replace old appliances with new energy efficient ones
Perform maintenance on your appliances to keep them operating at top performance
Use an energy efficient broiler
Turn your water heater settings down
Unplug your mobile phone right away when it is finished charging
Use power saving options on your computer
Turn your computer off when its not in use
Turn down your central heating by a few degrees
Dry your laundry by hanging it out whenever possible instead of using the clothes dryer
Wash laundry on cold settings whenever possible

There are numerous different things you can do within your household or in your daily life to help reduce your carbon footprint. For instance, you can reduce the amount of time you use your car. Make as many trips at once as you can, carpool whenever possible and always keep your vehicle tuned and running in top condition.

Some other ideas are to recycle as much as possible, buy recycled products and reuse bags when you go shopping. All those plastic grocery bags alone can greatly increase your carbon footprint. When shopping, try to purchase products made closer to were you live, and try to avoid excessive packaging that just adds to more waste. Recycle your gray water and use energy efficient light bulbs and you will see a reduction in your carbon footprint for sure.

With these tips, you can learn more about global warming and your carbon footprint as well as what you can do to reduce it. Its never too late to start making a difference for the future of our planet.