Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

563 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: My carbon footprint summary

Introduction: Over the years footprints have been used to tell the details of the species that marked it. In the case of carbon footprint it is the amount of Carbon Dioxide or other carbon compounds (green house gases) emitted into the atmosphere by human activities. By simply going about our daily lives of driving to work or running home appliances we are producing more CO2 because each is powered by energy that rely on the combustion of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels by humans emits 98% of the CO2 in the atmosphere making it the largest source of Carbon dioxide emissions and so it is a major cause of global warming (Dowdey, 2013). Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas (Sciencedaily.com, 2013). Carbon dioxide releases have increased intensely in the last 50 years and it is still increasing by about 3% each year. Because CO2 can remain in the atmosphere for 100 to 200 years its concentration eventually increases and causes the Earth’s temperature to rise (Rohrer,2013). The UAE: The United Arab Emirates is a very important oil producer making it one of the 10 largest oil and natural gas manufacturers in the world, and so it has a huge carbon footprint even with its low population (Todorova, 2013). The UAE’s dependence on fossil fuels to run cooling systems through the entire year, and the use of desalination plants to produce drinking water has raised their concerns on the environmental effects. With the rising costs of oil and their climate concerns the Ministry of Environment is determined to reduce energy consumption with any way possible (Ees.ae, 2013). Effects: Solar energy reaching the earth’s surface is released back into space as infrared. CO2 and other Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb some of that solar energy emitted from the earths’ surface and radiate some of it back to the earth’s surface. This greenhouse effect is causing the average global temperatures to rise, mostly in temperate and polar areas than in the tropics that’s why ice is starting to melt. So, the more the carbon dioxide in the air the greater the risk of increased global temperature. (Agnostic, 2013) How to reduce it (include UAE): To reduce ones carbon footprint is to simply reduce the consumption of energy of each individual. Do your part by being aware of your actions and find out the factors that contribute to global warming and then proceed to help in protecting the environment.

Show More
Related

  • Importance Of Climate Change Essay

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    The emission of carbon dioxide has contributed to 80% to the heating of the earth atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced due the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. The burning of fossil fuel is very important in our society today, because it is used for cooking, used to produce electricity, for heating, for cooling and also for transportation. The industrialization has led to the use of fossil fuel for running machines and driving cars. The building of fossil fuel contributes towards 80-90% of the carbon dioxide we find in our atmosphere today. When the ecosystems are altered and vegetation is either burned or took out, the carbon stored in them is relinquished to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (What causes global climate change, 2005). Methane is another gas being produced in the process which all have served to increase the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. Methane is produced from the cultivation of rice, from the burning of coal and from cattle, it has increased by 145% due to human

    Read More

  • The Little Ice Age Summary

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    When the sun heats the Earth gases are released as well as water vapor. They go into the atmosphere and regulate the temperature. This is known as global warming or the greenhouse effect. Many of the environmental complications derive from the political and social involvement. The climate was not the only cause, but we had humans played a role on what had been occurring to the world. Earth has many different atmospheric layers that are influenced by the greenhouse gases. “Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have now increased nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution; methane levels have more than doubled; and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15 percent” (Fagan 209). The increase of these gases also enhanced the trapping of the heat. With more heat being trapped this lead to many coastlines to flood due to the melting of snow and ice. The increase of dangerous weather actions will pose as a threat also. These changes in the environment would eventually lead to political and social change of the people Overpopulation in certain areas and industry formation influence the greenhouse effect. We as a whole are destroying the place we live, the natural world. Although there are ways to prevent and reduce global warming, we cannot stop the natural occurrence of future climate. Climate is not the only factor, each individual that as

    Read More

  • Comparing Carbon Footprint of Reusable Nalgene Water Bottles to Single Use Bottled Water

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    One starting point to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that you release is to find your carbon footprint. The carbon

    Read More

  • Global Warming is a Theory, Not a Fact

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    Firstly, global warming is said to be caused by the high levels of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by humans. Smoke produced by factories, vehicular exhaust, and the burning of fossil fuels such as coal in power plants are the primary sources of carbon dioxide. The theory is that carbon dioxide being released into the Earth's atmosphere is steadily building up because it cannot escape into space. The theory as to why the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere actually causes the Earth's average temperature to rise is outlined as follows:

    Read More

  • Carbon Dioxide Environmental Effects

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Carbon dioxide or CO2 is known to be one of a number of gases that are astonishingly transparent to the visible light that falls on the Earth from the Sun, but it absorb the infra-red radiation that emitted by the warm surface of our Earth, to prevents its loss into space. Moreover, CO2 has varied considerably and this affected the Earth’s temperature. Most common source of this CO2 is known as the fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are primarily coal, hydrocarbons, natural gas, or fuel oil that formed from the remains of the dead plants and also animals. The burning fossil fuel that has been created by humans is the largest source of emissions of the carbon dioxide.

    Read More

  • Personal Eco-Footprint Calculation Summary Report

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, the impact I personally have on the planet has surprised me. My personal ecological footprint is much larger than I expected. However, there are measures I can take to drop my current consumption rate, such as altering my recycling choices, making better purchasing decisions, and adopting the reduce, reuse, and recycle concept throughout my household. By altering my habits and consumption rate, I can affect my local community tremendously in a positive way for the planet Earth.

    Read More

  • Why Is Climate Change?

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Earth’s climate is determined by the physics and chemistry of its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere consists of four layers; troposphere which is closest to earth, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Hardy says, “During the past 100 years we humans, as a result of burning coal, oil, and gas and clearing forests, have greatly changed the chemical composition of the thin atmospheric layer.” There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels. The atmosphere is made up of many gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. It also consists of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons and, ozone. The trace gases have the greatest effect on our climate (Hardy 5). Up to a certain level, these gases help to keep the planet warm by absorbing certain infrared wavelengths, so that there can be life on the planet. Thus, they trap heat in the troposphere and stop it from escaping to space (Hardy 7). Therefore, the greater amount of greenhouse gases, the more heat trapped in the atmosphere. Earth’s temperature is increasing due to increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide released into the air from burning fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report projects “global average surface temperature increases ranging from 1.4 to 5.8 degrees

    Read More

  • My Ecological Footprint

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    We often take for granted the earth’s natural resources that are so vital to our existence and our survival. We don’t fetch our own water; we don’t preserve our own heat; we don’t conduct our own electricity. All these resources delivered to our own homes just as quietly and easily as going outside getting air. But as quietly as they come, they can be just as quietly consumed without knowing how much. Every single day how we live affects the earth’s ecological system. Therefore, it is very important to keep track of how much of resource we consume. Ecological footprint is a helpful way for us to know how much our lifestyle is affecting the earth’s ecological system – a methodology used to measure the level of our consumption of natural resource and the affect such consumption has on the planet. Our lifestyle – how often and how much we drive; how often and how much we purchase new products; how much or less we recycle – can directly affect and put pressure on the planet. Personal ecological footprint helps individual to put in perspective how much their lifestyle directly affects th...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Carbon Footprint

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Carbon footprint can be defined as the amount of greenhouse gases an individual produces at a time through diverse activities. A person’s carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which were induced by an individual’s daily activities for a given time frame. CO2 is one of the many greenhouse gases that are responsible for causing global warming which we are currently experiencing today. Carbon footprint is an extremely powerful tool which we can utilize to understand the impact that our personal activities have on global warming.

    Read More

  • Carbon Dioxide

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    The amount of CO2 in a planet's atmosphere affects the temperature of the planet. As more and more CO2 builds up in the atmosphere, less heat can escape and the planet gets hotter. The CO2 traps radiation from the sun like a greenhouse. This is called global warming or the greenhouse effect. Global warming is becoming a serious problem and CO2 is the major cause. The earth is now warmer than it has been in 1000's of years. The amount of CO2 deposited in the earth's atmosphere from human activities is expected to double by the year 2050. It could possible increase by four in the future with developing countries, such as China, anxious to improve their standard of living.

    Read More

  • Cause And Effect Essay On Greenhouse Effect

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    The commonly debated “greenhouse effect” refers to “the global average temperature increase that has been observed over the last one hundred years or more” (Spencer). President Barack Obama addressed the issue in an effort to highlight its severity, "We have to all shoulder the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable, or we’re going to suffer the consequences – together” (Leader). The earth’s increasing atmospheric and oceanic temperatures result in climate changes due to cumulative amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. As an outcome, researchers around the globe have established that the by-product of burning fossil fuels is the main culprit of the increasing temperatures. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have significantly increased since 1900, as shown above from a study carried out by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.

    Read More

  • Global Warming and Climate Change

    2338 Words  | 5 Pages

    In talking about global warming, we need to learn what causes the greenhouse effect. Rays from the sun are taken up and absorbed by water vapor that is natural in the atmosphere. The United States emits the largest man made greenhouse gases in the world. As Americans we must realize the responsibility to reduce the emissions. (Gore, Albert) Water Vapor is eighty percent of greenhouse warming. The last twenty percent results from other gases that are in very little amounts. A huge absorber of the sun’s heat rays is carbon dioxide. Us as humans release a lot of carbon dioxide. When fossil fuels are burned, they release big amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is on the increase in our atmosphere due to car emissions. Approximately eighty percent of CO2 increases because of man’s use of fossil fuels. When there is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere the more sun rays are absorbed. In result to this happening this will cause the earth and the earths atmosphere to warm. When the earth is warming, water temperatures will start to get warmer. Oceans and lakes will get warmer in result f...

    Read More

  • Anthropogenic Climate Change Essay

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most destructive human contribution to climate change is fossil fuels combustion, which results in the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Increased carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons levels in the atmosphere cause an imbalance in the earth’s energy. This is because the gases alter solar radiation and thermal radiation which regulate the earth’s energy. Research indicates that anthropogenic climate change is the cause of the increased global warming over the last fifty years. 57 % of the carbon dioxide emitted is absorbed into the atmosphere while the rest is absorbed into the oceans. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the most central greenhouse gas that is associated with global warming (Eby, Zickfield, Montenegro, Archer, Meissner, & Weaver,

    Read More

  • We Can Stop Climate Change

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    The burning of fossil fuels has greatly harmed our environment and is a leading cause as to why climate change has become such a threat to our way of living. In May of 2013, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, an increase of more than 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This could cause the Arctic Ocean to be nearly ice-free during the summer by 2020(Overland and Wang, 2013).

    Read More

  • Essay About Climate Change

    1651 Words  | 4 Pages

    Normally, the solar radiation will pass through the atmosphere. Some of the solar radiation will absorb by the earth surface and the rest will reflect by the atmosphere. However, the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere will trap some solar radiation. As a result, the average temperature in the earth surface will be increase. Therefore, the greenhouse gas will cause the climate change.

    Read More

More about Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

Open Document