How to REDUCE my CARBON FOOTPRINT - The best tips

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Carbon footprint and ecological footprint They are two linked concepts that many tend to confuse. Therefore, there are those who wonder how to reduce my ecological footprint or what can be done to reduce the ecological footprint, when in reality we do not want to reduce it, but we seek to reduce our carbon footprint, which is what indicates the amount of CO2 and others. greenhouse gases that we emit individually. Thus, to improve the health of the planet, ways are being sought to reduce the emissions of these gases, such as the activities carried out on January 28, the World Day for the Reduction of CO2 Emissions.

At Ecologista Verde we want to help you and the environment and, therefore, we have created this list of tips on how to reduce my carbon footprint, through reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gases that we emit in excess.

How to reduce carbon dioxide by planting trees

The first advice we give you for reduce CO2 footprint and other greenhouse gases, both yours and the community in which you live, is that you plant trees and plants endemic to the area where you live. Plant endemic trees It will make them grow better, because they are from this same place, and it will reduce CO2 from the atmosphere because the trees capture it from the air for their vital processes, later expelling oxygen. Thus, trees and plants clean the air and provide us with oxygen. In fact, they can eliminate between 350 and 3,500 kg of CO2 throughout their life. Here we tell you how to plant a tree step by step.

In case you cannot plant, you can also adopt endemic plants in associations dedicated to caring for the environment. In this way, you help these associations to take care of these plants and trees and plant many more.

Reduce your carbon footprint by consuming local products

Another way to reduce the footprint of polluting gases is to opt for consume local and seasonal products. As they are produced near the place where you live and in season, less transport has been used for their production and distribution, until they reach you. Imported products must be brought to the place where you are, so they use more transport, be it truck, ship or plane, which emits more CO2.

In addition, you will be part of fair trade, motivating the economy of your town.

Reduce your water consumption

Reduce water consumption and rationalizing what we have is one of the best ways to take care of the planet. This helps the ecosystems to be healthier and there can be more vegetation, which absorbs CO2.

Simply to reduce your carbon footprint taking care of water consumption, make your showers short, use the washing machine only if it is full, water the plants with water collected from the rain, water only what is necessary and do not leave taps open.

Eat less meat

That's right, vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian type diets are generally more environmentally friendly than omnivorous or carnivorous diets, if we focus on current models of intensive large-scale production.

The reasons are various, but mainly we can take into account that the livestock industry, of any type of animal destined for the production of meat and derivatives such as milk or eggs, is one of the industries that consumes the most amount of water by far. In addition to consume huge amounts of water, you also have to take into account the gases that this industry expels into the atmosphere when it comes to its intensive form on a large scale, both from the factories themselves and during transport. In addition, the gases released by animals, especially cows, contain a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas, and by themselves in more natural quantities are not an environmental problem, but due to the immense volume that the world population requires and that supplies the livestock industry (both meat and dairy products) becomes part of the emissions problem, since we are talking about a gigantic volume of livestock.

In addition, for our health it is better to consume meat in moderation or plant-based diets, especially if it is of intensive industrial production and does not come from a local and ecological livestock, in which many of the procedures and chemicals are not used. harmful that it is used in the intensive on a large scale.

We recommend you read this interesting post in which we clarify more about the question: Do cows pollute?

Use the 3 Rs of ecology

Remember to use the 3Rs of ecology, so reduce what you consume, having a responsible consumption, reuse all the materials you can as many times as you can and, finally, recycle the materials that are recyclable, taking them to the corresponding containers or to clean points. Help and be part of ecological programs in your area, find out at the town hall. In this way, the unnecessary operation of polluting machines and transport is reduced, which will reduce the carbon footprint.

Learn all about The 3Rs of ecology: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle with this other article from Green Ecologist.

Reduce plastic in your day to day

Say no to single-use plastic. The production of plastic, as well as its slow decomposition in the environment when it is disposed of without recycling it, are processes that pollute the entire planet in various ways. By minimizing its use, you will not only reduce the carbon footprint, but also reduce soil and water pollution and avoid the death of many animals and plants.

To achieve this you only need to stop using unnecessary plastic bottles and use more glass bottles and thermos that you can use for a long time, as well as stop using plastic bags and always carry with you cloth bags or similar materials, which are resistant and can also be used for long periods of time. Take a thermos or glass bottle to class or work and the cloth bag to do the shopping, instead of bottles and plastic bags.

Here you will find more Tips to reduce the use of plastics and packaging.

Use more public transport to reduce your carbon footprint

Leave your car or motorcycle parked Or get rid of them, because individual transport that uses fossil fuels is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions, although not only of this gas but of various gases that are expelled in the combustion of these products and that are harmful to the environment. planet to be in excess in the atmosphere. Switch to electric cars or sustainable transport, such as bicycles, walk to the closest places or use public transport.

For the same reason, we encourage you to reduce your carbon footprint using renewable energy at home, such as solar or wind power.

Take care of your appliances to reduce CO2

Something else we can do at home to minimize our carbon footprint is take good care of appliances, so that they only use the energy really necessary and do not do it in excess, which is equivalent to spending more energy and money and polluting the environment more. This is mainly the case in most homes, by using nuclear energy and other similar ones to obtain electricity.

So, you can turn your home into an ecological house with renewable energies or you can try to keep your refrigerator clean, use the dryer less, have your mobile in good condition so that it does not need to be charged more times, unplugging appliances you're not using, and so on.

These are some tips and ideas to reduce your carbon footprint, both at a private and a more general level. Can you think of more?

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