carbon footprint

• carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event
• carbon footprint can be reduced by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and methane
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  to reduce carbon dioxide emissions:

  • public transport
  • insulating homes
  • reducing electricity / using renewable sources

  however, these are very expensive and can be inconvenient
• reducing co2 emissions: homes

  a lot of fossil fuels are burned to heat homes

  by insulting homes, or turning down the heating
• 
  

  reducing co2 emissions: transport

  lots of co2 is released when driving cars

  by taking public transport, release less co2 per passenger
• 
  

  reducing co2: electricity

  lots of fossil fuels burned to generate energy for electricity

  by switching the renewable sources of electricity i.e. wind power

  or reducing amount of electricity used at home: turning appliances off at the plug rather than standby or using energy-saving bulbs
• reducing methane: agriculture

  grazing cattle release methane

  eat less beef and dairy products

  however people are unlikely to change their diet
• reducing methane: landfills

  trapping methane and burning it to produce electricity

  this is useful because methane is more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide

  however this costs money