Carbon footprint explained

Carbon footprint is one of the most talked-about term in the world today. Unfortunately, there are significantly more people who don’t understand the use and context of this term and how it applies to them individually than those who do. In this article, we will explain the concept of carbon footprint in a simple-to-understand way.

A person’s carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of his/her/their activities. It also includes the emission of other greenhouse gases such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons, etc. It can be generated directly through activities that require the burning of fossil fuels such as driving, cooking, operating machinery, burning refuse, etc. and this is easily understandable. However, a large proportion of our carbon footprint is generated indirectly and is dependent on a person’s habits, location, and personal choices.

Let’s examine a case study. Ayo wakes up in the morning and prepares for work. He heads to his office in his car. He arrives at his office, switches on the air conditioner in his office and makes a cup of coffee for himself. Because Ayo knows he’ll be spending most of his day in his air-conditioned office, he includes a cardigan in his outfit. On Ayo’s way back home, he makes a stop at his usual spot for some grilled fish and drinks.

In reality, Ayo has spent his day generating a carbon footprint. Ironing his cloth for work, powering the AC in his office and boiling water for his coffee. All these processes make use of electricity that is generated from a thermal power station or a generating set that burns petrol/diesel which emits carbon gases. The cloth Ayo is wearing cannot be produced without access to its raw material. To have access to these raw materials– pine, wood chip, bamboo pith- a lot of trees would have been cut down (deforestation), which leads to the release of less oxygen and more carbon dioxide, not to mention the industrial process through which the raw materials will go through to become a nice piece of clothing. As Ayo is enjoying his evening and having a nice time with his grilled fish and drinks, the grilling of the fish releases direct carbon gases into the atmosphere, and Ayo takes his beer from a single-use Styrofoam cup, which means that every time he takes a cup of beer an entire industrial manufacturing process that emits carbon pollutants has to have taken place.

This is a piece of information that doesn’t really mean much to Ayo because all he wants is to enjoy his lifestyle and satisfy his cravings. This goes to show that many of us are completely unaware of how our daily activities impact the environment and contribute to our carbon footprint, yet we are not completely innocent.

What is the way forward?

We need to become conscious about reducing our carbon footprint by cutting back on our contribution to carbon pollution. It can be as simple as car-pooling, reducing the number of vehicles generating these gases, switching to sustainable or cleaner energy (like Autogas or electric vehicles), using less energy-intensive devices, changing our choices (e.g., furniture) and habits to reflect environmental friendliness e.g., keeping a garden or planting trees. Lastly, more recycling will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions that result from the processing of raw materials.

Our next article will focus on what will happen if we don’t commit to reducing our carbon footprint. Don’t forget to engage, like and share.