Carbon footprints: Your impact on planet

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Like we leave footprints on sand, carbon footprints are our marks on this Earth. Our every action can be summed up in terms of carbon footprints. From switching on a light to travelling in a bus, you are leaving behind something. Your every deed is leaving an impact on this planet, knowingly or unknowingly!

How?

Question arises how it is leaving an impact. Answer to this question is very simple. Everything we do is supported by energy. When we switch on light, we get electricity. For production of electricity, it needs fossil fuels for burning. On burning of fossil fuels, carbon and other greenhouse gases are generated. Thus from choosing a food item to wearing a particular dress contributes for emission of greenhouse gases. The major constituent of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide and hence the name “Carbon Footprints”. These gases lead to increased greenhouse effect and thus affecting the environment.

Increased Green House Effect:

Greenhouse effect as all know is the effect caused by greenhouses which allows retaining heat for proper growth of plants. Same is the case with greenhouse gases, they acts as a wall of glass for our earth to retain heat and making earth warm but increasing level of these gases are retaining more heat of the sun and thus raising the earth’s temperature.

Consequences:

This temperature rise is creating problems to earth’s environment. Some Flora and fauna could not sustain huge temperature and hence are on the verge of extinction while some classes have already been extinct. Glaciers are melting before time affecting the migration cycle of creatures. This is causing death of many creatures including the polar bear to big whales. Our small acts which we perform daily are causing big, very big changes!

What should we do?

It’s our duty to save our mother earth. We should take charge not to waste things. Our habits are contributing some impacts on our planets. We have to take care of our deeds. If someone has a habit of taking walk in a garden for sometimes and comparing same time to use a computer or television can reduce 60-90 kg of Carbon dioxide emission annually.

You can easily calculate your carbon footprints online. You’ll yourself know the amount of greenhouse gases you are adding into the environment. Many websites offers to calculate your carbon footprints for free. You need to answer some questions regarding your daily habits. This data is then processed and your carbon footprints are calculated.

Carbon footprints are your marks on nature which you are giving to destroy it. Even when you mend a leaky tap, you contribute in saving our planet earth. From fasting to donating food in spite of throwing it away can cause a huge difference to our Planet. In this way, our indirect activities are directly affecting the planet.