Carbon Footprint Essay

The term “carbon footprint” refers to the amount of carbon that is emitted by activities or personnel into the atmpshpere.1 Though C02 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities, a carbon footprint can also be calculated by emissions of other greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and methane. 2 As discussed, the effects of greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect has led to the earth’s rapid increase in global warming. Carbon dioxide is one of the leading gases that contributes to climate change , thus a climate foot print serves as a leading tool in helping us calculate our CO2 emissions in comparison to the carbon save limit for humanity being at 350 parts per million, which we have overreached.

Carbon dioxide occurs naturally in the earth as a byproduct of respiration of all animals, which includes microorganisms or fungi, consequently making it a major component of the carbon cycle.3 Carbon dioxide is also produced by the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, factories, decaying animals, power plants, and natural gases. Nowadays, small amounts of C02 are derived from geothermal means such as hot springs, geysers and volcanoes.3 Much of the carbon dioxide in our atmospheres came from volcanoes which released vast quantities of gases and minerals into the environment.3

Our lifestyle plays a huge role in how large or small our carbon foot print is. For example, being resourceful and keeping most of our household products and electronics for over 5 years allows us to purchase less goods and causes manufactures to burn less fossil fuels and emit less CO2 in the atmosphere by their production of the goods. Also secondary carbon emission can be taken into consideration, preforming recreational act...

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...urces than our planet can produce. Earth overshoot day has been occurring earlier each year indicating the ever present consumption patterns. In 1993, earth overshoot day fell on October 21. In 2003, it fell on September 22 and fell on August 20 in 2013.11 Ecological overshoot is when our ecological demands exceeds what the earth can produce. As our resources deplete at an increasing rate, it makes it harder for the earth to renew itself , it would take approximately 2 earths to sustain human activity.12 It would take close to 4 earths to sustain all humans at U.S consumption levels due to how much resources Americans utilize.12 Biocapacity is the means of measuring how biologically productive land is, and is measured in global hectares.13 In the year 1992 , the year I was, born biocapacity was around 5 % today it is around 11%, since 1992 it has doubled.13