We all consume something or another on a daily basis, but do we know how our consumption affects the planet? Thanks to carbon calculators you can find out and start changing your behaviour.
ELIMINATE EMISSIONS
‘Almost everything we do, everything we buy and everything we eat has an emissions consequence,’ says Kerry Wright, director of Cleaner Climate South Africa. Whether you drive your car or switch on the television, you’re adding to the size of your carbon footprint. ‘Although we contribute to climate change predominantly through our use of electricity and transport,’ says Wright. While we’re not telling you to sit at home with the lights off, it’s time we all changed our unfriendly eco habits. ‘In South Africa, our electricity comes almost exclusively (95%) from the burning of coal,’ says Wright, ‘which releases huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.’ Therefore, she adds, every time you switch on a light or plug, you’re burning coal.
How do you measure up? Try these online calculators:
Cleaner Climate
Steadfast Greening
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Or give the
Food & Trees For Africa calculator a try...
‘There are so many things you can do to offset your carbon footprint,’ says Jeunesse Park, director of Global Carbon Exchange and founder of Food & Trees For Africa. People need to start realising that it only takes one person to make a difference, she adds.
Below, Park gives you a few, simple tips on ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.
• Open the windows and switch off air conditioners. ‘Only have the air conditioner on if you’re in the room and ensure windows are closed,’ says Wright.
• Switch off all appliances at the plug point. For example, adds Wright, ‘Leaving the TV on in standby mode uses up to 50% of the power the TV would use if it was actually on. The same goes for hi-fis.’
• Get flat-screen monitors, as LCDs use a third of the electricity of regular screens.
• Don’t decide what you want to eat in front of an open fridge. Close the door and make up your mind – even a few seconds wastes energy.
• Turn down the water-heating setting. Just two degrees less makes a significant saving. Wright suggests turning your geyser down to 60 degrees.
• Insulate the geyser. ‘A geyser blanket won’t allow heat to escape,’ adds Wright.
• Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly. The ice build-up causes your appliances to use more energy.
• Fill washing machines and dishwashers to capacity instead of cleaning three or four items at a time. Also use the lowest temperature possible.
• Hang out your washing to dry rather than tumble drying it. ‘The wind is a free and renewable energy source,’ adds Wright.
• Insulate your home and draught-proof windows and doors. Then you won’t be tempted to use electricity-sapping heaters.
• Reduce travel to meetings. Teleconference instead.
• Drive slower – not only is it safer, it uses less fuel and produces fewer emissions. ‘The extra time it would take to travel 50km at 90km/h compared to 100km/h is only about 3 minutes, but you will save up to 15% on fuel,’ explains Wright.
• Buy locally produced items and organic food, or grow your own. ‘These generally employ less intensive farming methods, reduced or no fertilizers and use less ‘food miles’ when transporting the food from the farm to the shop,’ says Wright.
• Avoid packaging where possible and say no to plastic bags.
• Avoid fast food – over-packaging equals mountains of rubbish.
• Request your bills electronically and pay online.