Why - Carbon Footprint

What is a carbon footprint? - A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) given off by burning fossil fuels (petrol, natural gas etc.) by an individual or business as part of their daily lives or everyday tasks.

The main gases involved with carbon footprints are:

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) - sourced from burning fossil fuels.
• Methane (CH₄) - sourced from natural gas extractions.
• Nitrous oxide (N₂O) - sourced from burning fossil fuels.
• Ozone (O₃) in the lower atmosphere - sourced from reactions in pollutants released by transport and industry.

Carbon emissions began to increase during the Industrial Revolution of the mid 19th to early 20th century; however there was a particular increase during the 1950s when the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere had increased by over 50 ppm (50 CO₂ molecules per million air particles). They are still rising today as more and more people own and use cars which burn petrol (a fossil fuel) and produce nitrous oxides and unstable hydrocarbons which can react to form low level ozone (O₃) which causes irritation of lungs and eyes in humans and can also damage trees and crops.

Carbon emissions contribute to the problem of global warming as CO₂ is one of the main gases which helps to absorb and deflect infrared radiation back towards the Earth, consequently heating it up. If nothing is done to lower carbon emissions then not only will global warming become more serious but the hole in the ozone layer may also increase in size, letting in higher levels of harmful ultra violet rays which will damage the planet.

You may be thinking 'but what can I do that will make a difference?' Even the smallest action can make a difference like using an energy saving light bulb or switching an appliance off at the mains rather than leaving it on standby, see how we did it and more ideas.