Reduce your Ecological Footprint

* Don´t drive when there is an alternative! Walk, bike, or take public transport whenever possible. If you don't own and drive a car on average you can reduce your total ecological footprint by as much as 20 per cent. Using it less will reduce your footprint, helps to avoid traffic jam and keeps your citys air cleaner.

* If you need a car make it a small as possible one and reduce the mileage. Smaller, and mainly smaller-engined, cars are usually much more energy efficient than larger ones.

* Check your car regularly. Have your vehicle serviced regularly to keep the emission control systems operating at peak efficiency. Check your car's air filter monthly, and keep the tires adequately inflated to maximize gas mileage. If you'll be waiting for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine (except in traffic).

* Avoid short airplane trips - take a bus or train instead. Flights cause a large and growing part of our collective footprint - it has 2 to 4 times the impact of CO2 emissions on climate change because it releases water vapour and nitrous oxide at high altitude. If you can´t avoid flying, make clearing donations to projects on climate protection, for example RESET projects on Protecting the Rainforest or Solar Energy for Rwanda. Or utilize the emission calculator on atmosfair to figure out how much greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flights. With your donation to atmosfair you enable them to run projects where these emissions will be saved.

* Install energy-saving lambs in your home - but be sure to dispose of old bulbs safely.

* Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated, and consider double-pane windows. Explore green design features for your building, like passive solar heating, a rainwater catchment or grey water recycling system, and recycled materials.

* Choose energy efficient appliances, including low flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets.

* Choose furnishings that are second-hand, recycled, or sustainably produced.

* Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products - for your health and environment.

* Keep thermostat relatively low in winter and ease up on the air conditioning in summer. Keep your A/C filters clean to keep the A/C operating at peak efficiency. Find tips for cooling your house/ appartment without A/C.

* Unplug your electronics when not in use. To make it easier, use a power strip. Even when turned off, items like your television, computer, and cellphone charger still sip power.

* Dry your clothes outside whenever possible and run your laundry machine only when full.

* Defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly.

* Shop at your local farmer's market. Look for local, in-season foods that haven't traveled long distances to reach you. Organic and other forms of low-input farming that use minimal or no pesticides and fertilisers – which are energy intensive in their manufacture – consume up to 40% less energy, and support higher levels of wildlife on farms.

* Choose foods with less packaging to reduce waste.

* Plant a garden! Growing our own fruit and vegetables reduces all the energy and waste which normally goes into getting food from the field to our plates – such as transport, refrigeration and packaging. In your garden you can compost food waste as well. Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted.

* Going meatless for just one meal a week can make a difference - more often is even better! It has been estimated that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with meat consumption. The ecological footprint of vegetarians who eat a moderate amount of milk and eggs could be 40% lower than their counterparts who consume a low-meat diet.

* Buy less! Try to get your things repaired - supports local business and avoids waste. Replace items only when you really need to. Find a trader for the things you need in your region to avoid long transportation.

* Recycle all your paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic. Don't forget electronics!
Buy recycled products like recycling paper.

* Take shorter, less frequent showers - this saves water and the energy necessary to heat it.

* Run the dishwasher and the laundry machine only when full.

* Wash your car rarely. Take it to a carwash; usually commercial carwashes use less water per wash than you would need at home.

* Avoid hosing down or power-washing your deck, walkways, or driveway. Regularly look for and fix leaks.

* Plant drought tolerant plants in your garden and yard.

* More on water saving you can find here.

Saving is always better than paying afterwards! For the carbon emissions you can´t eliminate you have the option to purchase carbon offsets. Individuals, companies, or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. For example, an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel.

Many companies offer carbon offsets as an up-sell during the sales process so that customers can mitigate the emissions related with their product or service purchase - such as offsetting emissions related to a vacation flight, car rental, or hotel stay, for example.

Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. The most common project type is renewable energy, such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects.

If you support Reset-projects such as Rainforest protection in Ecuador or Wind Energy for Madagascar you make a positive attribution to CO2-compensation.

To find projects and more information see endscarbonoffset and carbon catalog.

Atmosfair is utilizing an emissions calculator to figure out how much greenhouse gas emissions are caused by individual flights and offers carbon offsets. The environmental damage caused by the flight cannot be undone but still it is more advisable to try to fix the problem.


Source: myfootprint.org, wwf