How to Reduce My Carbon Footprint?
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM TRANSPORTATION
- Walk or use a bicycle
- Carpool or use public transport
- Own efficient or a hybrid car. The following site will help you understand the emission of each type of car (http://www.car-emissions.com/)
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Maintain your car by regularly:
- Checking the spark plugs
- Checking the air filter
- Flushing off the fuel injectors
- Checking the tyre pressure
- Changing oil on regular basis
- Using air conditioning increases fuel consumption
- At high speed(above 100 KM) the drag created by open windows will cause higher emission from cars than from using the air condition. Close your windows on high speed or better yet, drive slow!!!
- Accelerate gradually and use cruise control on the highway
- Respect the national speed limits
- Turn off the engine if the car is idle
- Do not warm up your car
- Park in designated area to avoid traffic congestion
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM AIR TRAVEL
- Rely more on video conferencing
- Try to take direct flights when possible
- Carbon neutralize your flights; most airlines offer you this option
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM PAPER USE
- Send emails
- Read online magazines and newspapers
- Reduce the amount of printed documents
- When needed, print out the exact required text instead of the whole document
- Use recycled paper
- Use both sides of the paper
- Re-use one sided paper for notes
- Recycle used paper
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM WASTE
- Recycle your domestic organic waste
- Separate your waste (Paper vs. Plastic vs. Glass)
- Reduce your consumption of unnecessary items
- Use recyclable bags for shopping or no bags at all if possible
- Recycle your waste from consumed items (several online website provides ideas for recycling of clothing, plastic items, broken glass...)
- Use solvent free based paints and environmental friendly glue
- Avoid burning for disposing of your waste
How to reduce CARBON FOOTPRINT from electricity consumption
- Use the stairs instead of elevators. Stairs are excellent way to burn calories!!
- Open window blinds to increase natural light
- Install motion detectors to turn on / off lights in rooms that are not regularly occupied
- Use energy efficiency light bulbs (LED or CFL)
- Turn off electrical plugs if they are not in use
- Clean or replace the air condition air filter on regular basis
- Service your boiler once a year
- Improve your home insulation
- Plant "climbing plants" to reduce energy loss during winter and reduce heat gain during summer periods
- Install solar water heaters, they do work especially when you have 300 days of sun per annum
- Use photovoltaic (PV) cells and small wind turbines to generate electricity