Have you checked your Carbon Footprint?
D. Jarvis
Environmental Advocate
What is a carbon footprint?
Everyone’s heard the term ‘carbon footprint’, but what does it mean in our daily lives?
Our ‘carbon footprint’ is a measure of the impact our lives have on the environment. Everything we do or buy has one – from production and transportation to use and disposal.
How about a coffee!
Even a single cup of coffee has a story.
Its footprint comes from:
- Growing and processing of the coffee beans
- Shipping it across the world to us
- The energy used to brew it
- The waste it produces and leaves behind.
Different activities and purchases leave footprints of different sizes- and when you add up all of humanities impact, it’s huge.
We’ve seen the results – damaged ecosystems, a changing climate, polluted air and water.
The good news? All is not lost. Small everyday choices can make a real difference.
Measuring your Footprint
It might seem complicated, but tools like the WWF Footprint Calculator make it quick and easy.
In just a few minutes, you answer simple questions about your travel, diet, shopping habits and waste and it gives you an estimate of your annual carbon footprint.
When I tried it, it took me around 5 minutes, the results appeared instantly.
At 6.9 tonnes, my footprint is below the UK average but above the world average.
The calculator also breaks down your footprint into categories – home, food, travel and “stuff” – and suggests practical changes that help reduce it.
My Results & Next Steps
Looking back to my results, I can see that food has the greatest contribution to my footprint.
The changes recommended for me are:
- Eat seasonally
- Responsibly produced
- Eat less meat and dairy
These are small, simple swaps that won’t negatively affect my life – in fact, they’d likely improve it. Eating more seasonal, responsibly produced plant-based foods can support my health – boosting my nutrition while helping the planet.
So, challenge accepted!
