Carbon dioxide is very bad for the atmosphere, yet we all continue to produce so much of it. It’s a well-known fact that CO2 is a natural gas that both humans and animals create as they breathe, and this can’t be helped. Aside from this, it is also referred to as a greenhouse gas. This is a type of gas which takes in energy and sends it back out again within the thermal infrared range of the earth.
If the CO2 levels on earth are too high, this is when the heat is forced to radiate back out, causing a greenhouse gas. The greenhouse gases have many environmental effects on the earth. They can contribute towards the effects of climate change by stopping the heat from escaping the earth.
Greenhouse gases can also have an impact on health, including respiratory illnesses which could be caused from pollution. If the greenhouse gases continue to build, they will continue to cause bad weather conditions, a disruption to the food supply chain, increased sea line levels and wildfires. Luckily, there are so many ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
How much CO2 is produced by humans?
Research illustrates that in 2018, CO2 production was at an all-time high of 36.2 gigatonnes! Not sure what a gigatonne is? This is the equivalent weight of one hundred million African elephants! The impact that CO2 can have on your home is quite clear, but there are many ways to reduce our carbon footprint within our everyday life…We need to stop and think carbon neutral. Let’s take a look!
- Improve The Efficiency Of Your Home’s Insulation
If your standard heating system isn’t working properly, the heat from your radiators could be leaving your home too quickly, meaning you could be forced to turn up your heating even higher. There are so many ways in which you can improve the insulation of your home.
The easiest way to insulate your property and reduce your carbon footprint is by finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint. You can do this by sealing your old double glazing windows and doors to ensure they are not letting out the heat.
Alternatively, replacing your old double glazing windows and doors with energy-efficient, double glazing windows and doors for maximum heat retention and reduce heat loss is an effective way to reduce our carbon footprint and think carbon neutral.
- Use A Heat Pump
Reduce the overall amount of gas that you use in your home by changing to a ground source heat pump. These systems don’t use any generated gas. Instead they use natural heat to generate the energy needed.
Any appliances which generate energy from natural resources are incredibly effective when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint.
- Generate Your Own Electricity
Solar panels can be expensive, but by having them fitted you will instantaneously feel the benefits of electricity generated through natural light. Normal electricity is generated through the burning of fossil fuels, and this releases harmful CO2 footprint into the atmosphere.
Solar panels provide you with reusable electricity for your home, allowing you to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that you produce.
- Hang Your Clothes Out To Dry
Think carbon neutral by making small changes within your everyday life can be extremely beneficial when reducing your every carbon footprint. Changing your daily habits such as hanging your clothes out to dry rather than putting them in the dryer, or washing your clothes at a lower temperature can all make a difference to your energy usage.
- Change Your Light Bulbs
The standard style of light bulb is still used in many homes. However, LED light bulbs are the most energy efficient option of all light bulbs, helping to reduce your carbon footprint.
LED light bulbs operate at 90% energy efficiency, whereas the standard light bulb operates at 20%. They will also last much longer, meaning they are very cost effective as they won’t need to constantly be replaced.
- Invest In A Smart Metre
If you knew how much energy you were using on a day to day basis, you may stop and think about the energy you are using. This is exactly what a smart metre does. A smart metre will provide you with energy measurements in real time.
The government continues to encourage the installation of a smart metre as an attempt to help homeowners reconsider before using so much energy in their daily routines. It’s time to think carbon neutral and stop wasting energy.
- Unplug Your Devices
When you have finished using an electrical appliance – it is important to switch off the electricity, and then unplug the device. This is simply to cut down on your carbon footprint, and this proves that you can do this even by changing the way to charge your phone!