I know everyone likes different footwear. I live in my Sperry's. Some prefer jandals, Toms, sneakers, or if you're particularly classy, you prefer flats. But no matter what we wear, we all leave behind the same kind of footprint.
A carbon footprint.
I know we all hear about reducing carbon emissions from various sources, so I'm going to try to narrow it down to the basics.
Let's start with why it's important.
It doesn't actually start with the carbon emissions we make, if you can believe it. I think Bill Gates said it best in his annual letter this year.
“Life gets better—not for everyone all the time, but for most people most of the time.” And the reason is energy...The truth is, the people who will be hit the hardest are the world’s poorest. Millions of the poorest families work as farmers. Changes in weather often mean that their crops won’t grow because of too little rain or too much rain. That sinks them deeper into poverty. That’s particularly unfair because they’re the least responsible for emitting CO2, which is causing the problem in the first place."
He goes on to say that 7 out of 10 people in Africa live in the dark.
Can you imagine that? That as soon as the sun goes away, you cannot do the basics such as working, reading, or doing your homework. That if you want to do some of these things, you'll have to do it by candle light.
It's incredible that the light bulb has been invented so long ago, but so many parts of the world don't reap the benefits due to a lack of cheap, clean energy.
I think the worst part is knowing that those in poverty suffer because of our excessive carbon footprint. Their crops are affected, which affects their household food and income, which affects the family's potential to send their children to school. All of these factors embed families deeper in poverty.
This disparity is terrible, and it's the reason why the Gates Foundation encourages research in different companies to promote a cheap, clean source of energy. But, I know most of us aren't energy & sustainability orientated in our career choices (including me).
So what can we do in our everyday lives to reduce the 36 billion tons of carbon emitted?
CarbonFund suggests making small changes in various aspects of your life: car, travel, home and lifestyle.
#1: Keep your car properly maintained. By doing so, you prevent the engine from working too hard. Also, accelerating slowly and smoothly helps eliminate unnecessary pressure from the engine. When the time comes to look for a new car, consider getting a hybrid or electric car. The benefits are incredible.
#2: Get a programmable thermostat. Look for the EnergyStar Label when buying new household appliances as well to get an idea of how energy-friendly the appliance is.
#3: Buy locally. Shipping uses fuel. Support your local farmers, and help reduce your carbon emission in one go.
#4: Eat what you make. According to CarbonFund, one-fourth of all food made in the United States is tossed. All of that food produces methane in landfills and carbon emissions from the transport of wasted food.
#5: Recycle. I know, sometimes the recycling bin is a little bit farther than the regular trash can. But those few extra steps, made by a lot of people, can have an impact.
I hope that you will try implementing these steps in your every day life. I purposely picked steps that don't require a lot of effort.
Accelerating slowly? We can do that.
Picking energy efficient appliances? Not hard, especially with the EnergyStar labels.
Buying locally? Just takes a little bit of research, but not impossible.
Eating what you make? Not hard, estimate properly.
Recycling? Literally the easiest thing to do ever, especially for my readers at the University of Houston. We have recycling bins everywhere!
One of my favorite thoughts is that we can't always change the world, but we can always shift it. Call me optimistic, but I hope that one day we have a cheap, clean source of energy for everyone -- allowing everyone to access their opportunities regardless of where they live or their income bracket.
