Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

E-Weekly-5/43 Green Earth Movement An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice Remember - “you and I can decide the future”

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "E-Weekly-5/43 Green Earth Movement An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice Remember - “you and I can decide the future”"— Presentation transcript:

1 E-Weekly-5/43 Green Earth Movement An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice Remember - “you and I can decide the future”

2 WHY CALLED The term carbon footprint is how much carbon goes into the air because of something done by people (not by nature). Doing something that burns fuel will make carbon dioxide gas in the smoke. Carbon dioxide has carbon in it. Just as walking on the sand leaves a footprint, burning fuel leaves carbon dioxide in the air, which is called a carbon footprint.

3 WHERE IT COMES FROM? Oil, gas and coal are called "fossil fuels" because they come from fossils of ancient plants and animals. Those plants and animals had carbon in them. So when we burn oil, gas, and coal, the carbon becomes carbon dioxide and goes into the air as smoke. This makes pollution. It also makes the greenhouse effect, which means that the carbon dioxide makes the earth warmer, like a greenhouse. A carbon footprint is the carbon dioxide that is put into the air because of a person, a group of people, an event or a product.

4 DEFINITION OF CARBON FOOTPRINT A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

5 Just about everything you do each day-get ready for work, commute, even prepare dinner affects the environment in some way. One of the most common ways to measure your impact is to determine your carbon footprint:

6

7 How to calculate Carbon Footprint? You don't have to use complicated formulas or computations to figure out what your carbon footprint is on a yearly basis. Try a hand online calculator, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency's Household Emissions Calculator or the Nature Conservancy’s Calculator, which allows you to calculate either household or your own personal emissions. How do you compare to the average?

8 To remain as accessible as possible, most carbon calculator ask very simple questions about consumption. They accept estimates of annual electricity usage or mileage instead of exact and difficult-to- provide totals.

9 Carbon calculators usually start by asking for your location. Regardless of your personal consumption, your carbon footprint is partly determined by the state you live in. Some states rely more on dirtier sources of power like coal; others use larger percentages of renewable sources that produce less CO2.

10 Most calculators also ask for the size of your household. The calculator can then differentiate between your personal carbon footprint and that of the house as a whole. To determine the amount of CO2 produced by home electricity, the calculator divides the estimated or exact usage by the price of power in the area. The calculator then multiplies this number by the state's emissions factor, a figure that relates to the type of energy the state uses. Calculators also factor in natural gas, heating oil and propane use.

11 Most calculators account for the lower emissions of green power subscribers. Some power companies allow customers the option to pay a bit more on their monthly bill to receive a certain percentage of power from renewable sources. This reduces the state's production of fossil-fuelled power and helps develop a green market.

12 Carbon footprints also include the CO2 produced by transportation. Most people don't know their annual fuel usage, so calculators usually ask for an estimated annual mileage and the car's make, model and year. The calculator divides mileage by the car's fuel efficiency to determine annual fuel usage. This figure is then multiplied by the emissions factor of gasoline or diesel fuel, which converts it to pounds of CO2.

13 For air travel, some carbon calculators ask for an annual estimate of mileage. Other calculators account for increased emissions during takeoff and ask for the number of short, medium, long or extended flights.

14 After compiling all the figures, the calculator produces a total CO2 output in tons -- a carbon footprint. Some calculators even put footprints in context by comparing them with the national or global averages. If you have the data ready, the whole process takes the calculator about 30 seconds. But what do you do after figuring out how much CO2­ you produce? In the next section, we'll learn how to knock down your footprint a few sizes.

15 Reduce Carbon Footprint There is plenty of advice out there on how to reduce your carbon footprint, including taking public transportation, or buying organic and local food. But how can your green home renovation contribute to the reduction of your carbon footprint? Here are a few ways:

16 How to reduce your carbon footprint? Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Can’t. That’s our motto, and we’re proud of it. Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. We encourage everyone to think about their lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce their climate impact. You can get partway to carbon neutrality through how you live your life, i.e., reducing your carbon footprint.

17 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Car 1] Drive better - Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon (MPG) is due to driving habits alone. You could save more than a ton of CO 2 per year by: - Accelerating slowly and smoothly - Driving the speed limit - Maintaining a steady speed - Anticipating your stops and starts 2] Maintenance - Keep your car tuned up and running efficiently. 3] More Maintenance - Replace your air, oil and fuel filters according to schedule. 4] Tires - Keep your tires properly inflated (just this can save 400-700 pounds of CO 2 per year). 5] Make your next vehicle a fuel-efficient one - Check out EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide for info on miles per gallon as well as EPA SmartWay ® certified vehicles, meeting rigorous air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions standards. 6] Household fuel efficiency - If your household has two cars and one is used mostly for commuting, make the commuting car a real gas sipper if you can’t for both.Green Vehicle Guide

18 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Travel A lot of our emissions come from just being inefficient or not deliberate with our daily decisions. Every day think about how you could reduce the miles you drive and pretty soon you’ll start identifying lots of opportunities: 1] Combine your trip with another. 2] Carpool - Just once a week saves 20%. 3] Check out your transit options - It may not work for you every time, but use it when it does. 4] What about your bike? - Get in shape, too! 5] Only a mile? - Walk. 6] Think it through - Do you need to take this trip at all? 7] Get it on the Internet. 8] Optimize - Save this trip for later and combine with another. 9] Telecommute - Work from home occasionally.

19 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Air Travel 1] Think about the trip - Can you combine it with another or get more done on one trip? 2] Train - For some trips the train may be a good choice for you. 3] Fly nonstop - Nonstop flights are better than connecting flights (for many reasons). 4] When you get there - Do some research ahead of time to find better ground travel options (shuttles, transit, trains, etc.) at your destination. 5] Lodging - Ask your hotel about their environmental commitment and steps they’re taking to reduce, offset. 6] While you’re away - Turn your stuff off. Turn down your thermostat and your water heater; turn off your electronics (even smarter: unplug them to protect from electrical storms). What’s the point of things being on with no one there? 7] More tips - Take a look at these green travel tips.green travel tips

20 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Home 1] Lighting – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have that cool curly shape and save more than 2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent. Read the box or instructions for safe disposal. 2] Heating and Cooling - Keep your heating and cooling system(s) tuned. When it’s time to replace, do your research and ask for ENERGY STAR. Insulation – Weatherstripping, caulking and insulation work together to save you energy, improve the comfort of your home, make it quieter and help you save money. 3] Water-Conserving Showerheads & Toilets – You can reduce water and heating costs, even in your bathroom. To save even more water, turn the faucet off when brushing or shaving. These simple changes and steps can save many thousands of gallons of water annually. 4] Appliances – Always pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including energy—not just the price tag. Look for the ENERGY STAR label. 5] Bigger isn’t always better - Just get the size you need; do you really need that extra refrigerator? 6] Electronics – Likewise, look for ENERGY STAR. If you’re going away or not using an item for awhile, unplug it to prevent “vampire” energy loss from electricity usage on standby.

21 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Wedding Weddings are all about the couple, but they can still be a little about the planet, right? 1] Knowledge – There is a surprising amount to learn when it comes to planning a wedding. Though primarily a resource for training green wedding planners, New Wedding Planet is a great site for new couples to learn the ins and outs of planning everything from cake design to the elements of traditional or cultural ceremonies.New Wedding Planet 2] Invitations – Utilize recycled or post-consumer waste paper for all your invitations, thank you notes, place cards, etc. Or cut out the paper waste altogether by choosing to go digital and putting Save the Dates, maps, and reception cards on your wedding website.

22 3] Flowers and Food – Same idea for both: make it local, organic and seasonal. Almost all caterers and florists can help you with this, and you can get educated by going to your farmer’s market and asking what will be in season on your big day. 4] Décor – Let the natural beauty of your outdoor wedding shine or consider using potted plants to adorn your indoor event – guests can take them home and transplant them, as opposed to wreaths of cut flowers that only survive a day or two. If your heart is set on roses, get more bang for your buds by reusing floral arrangements from your ceremony at the reception. 5] Gifts and Favors – The Green Bride Guide had a wealthGreen Bride Guide of resources for finding eco-friendly favors from beeswax candles to chocolate treats. For gifts, registering through the Green Bride Guide allows your guests to support sustainable businesses and even donate a portion of the sales to your favorite cause. 6] Transportation – The biggest carbon footprint from any event is the transportation. Try holding the wedding in a location central to most guests. If that’s not possible, use Carbonfund.org’s wedding calculator to offset the travel and hotel impact.Carbonfund.org’s wedding calculator

23 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Office 1] Enable your power management - so your computer and monitor shut down. 2] Consider using ePlusGreen’s PC energy-saving technology – The system monitors/minimizes computer and printer energy usage. 3] Do you need to print?- Consider saving a file on your computer, in a flash drive or emailing it. 4] Double-side print - Saves paper too. 5] Open up - If you have windows you can open, use them to intelligently save energy. 6] Turn ‘em off - Only use the lights you need. If you’re using your computer you may not need your office lights on too. 7] Occupancy sensors - Shut off lights in unused rooms. Better, get your building to install occupancy sensors. 8] Bring your lunch - Or walk to the local eatery instead of driving. 8

24 Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Life Only 40% of the average American’s carbon footprint is due to their direct energy use. The other 60% is indirect; it comes from everything we buy and use—goods and services. Pay attention to your consumption and waste habits, and you’ll find lots of opportunities to conserve. 1] Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. You’ve heard it before, but it’s still great advice. Manufacturing products produces an average 4-8 pounds of CO 2 for every pound of manufactured product. 2] Stop your junk mail with the help of 41pounds, a nonprofit service that contacts dozens of direct mailers to remove your name from their lists.41pounds

25 3] Buy locally if possible. Shipping burns fuel. A 5-pound package shipped by air across the country creates 12 pounds of CO 2 (3 ½ pounds if shipped by truck). 4] Eat less meat. If you’re already a vegetarian, you save at least 3,000 pounds of CO 2 per year compared to meat eaters. If you’re not a vegetarian, just increase the number of vegetarian meals you eat each week by one or two. Also, poultry is less greenhouse gas intensive than beef. 5] Don’t waste food. Mom was right. About one-quarter of all the food prepared annually in the U.S., for example, gets tossed, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions from transporting wasted food.

26 To conclude with a quote from Pope Francis “Take good care of creation. St. Francis wanted that. People occasionally forgive, but nature never does. If We don’t take care of the environment, there’s no way of getting around it”.

27 This educational PowerPoint Presentation (editable) is prepared by GEM Team (courtesy: internet). For other similar GEM PowerPoint Presentations on various environmental issues see next slide. These PPTs may be downloaded from our website www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in The GEM PPTs can be creatively used for various groups like school/college students, NGOs, government officials, Church groups, SCC groups, housing society members and so on.

28 Zero Garbage Solar Energy Junk Food Twenty Tips To Save Nature Plastic – a boon or bane? Green Passion Soft drink – A Health Hazard Waste to energy Rain Water Harvesting Eco-friendly Religions Happy Green Diwali Climate Change The future of Biodiversity Genetically Modified Foods Waste Water Treatment Give thanks, Give Life (Body, Organ, Tissue Donation) Organic Farming Waste to cooking gas Reduce, Reuse. Recycle Protect Mangroves Say NO to Bottled water Save Lakes and Ponds Forests are green lungs Coal Mining and Ecology Sin of Food Waste Climate change and Poverty Stop Water Pollution Carbon Footprints

29 For Free Weekly GEM E-Newsletters visit – www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in – every Friday. Go to GEM section, www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in click GEM E-NEWSLETTERS


Download ppt "E-Weekly-5/43 Green Earth Movement An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice Remember - “you and I can decide the future”"

Similar presentations


Ads by Google