Daily Habits That Leave Carbon Footprints around the House and How to Reduce Them

Many people make the mistake of thinking that climate change is a ruse. And others think climate change can only be occasioned by the activities of large industrial companies. But nothing can be farther from reality. Global warming is caused by a combination of several factors – greenhouse emissions, industrial companies, automobiles and even simply tasks such as switching on unused electricity lights and failure to replace faulty boilers.

There are lots of domestic activities we engage in that contribute to climate change. And we can reduce our carbon imprints on the environment if we take note of these things and amend our lifestyles. #HowMuchCO2 we release into the atmosphere can be curtailed if we apply simple knowledge to everyday activities that endanger our planet.

Some of the usual things we do that contribute to global warming on a daily basis include –

• Excessive use of electricity

Electricity is mainly generated by the burning of fossil fuel – a major contributor to CO2 emissions. The more you use electricity or leave power on, the more CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere. But you can correct this situation by using alternative sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind and water for power generation.

• Auto vehicles

The abundance of gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles in our cities contributes to CO2 emissions which are harmful to people and the environment. To check this problem, you can choose to drive less or use fuel additives to reduce carbon emissions from auto vehicles. Another solution is to drive electric or hybrid vehicles because these release very negligible amounts of gaseous emissions to the environment.

• HVAC and water heater

You may not know it, but analysts say your HVAC system and water heater consume up to 61% of your home power anytime you use them. So apart from the fact that you pay more for the electricity used by these appliances, you induce them to release emissions that threaten our world. And then, the older these appliances are, the higher the carbon emissions they release into the atmosphere.

• Filling landfill with household garbage

When you discard your household garbage into a landfill, the decomposing material generates methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You can address this problem by reducing the amount of trash or garbage your home produces, reusing and recycling most garbage, and composting organic waste for environment-friendly materials.

Since it takes simple domestic and everyday habits to contribute to global warming, it only requires awareness and change of daily habits to reduce our contribution to climate change. Some of the things we could begin doing to reduce our carbon footprint include –

• Switch off unused electricity or use energy-saving bulbs or CFL/LED lighting
• Replace old gas boilers, HVAC system and water heater among other old home appliances
• Install thermostats that are programmable to reduce heating and cooling waste
• Remove electronic chargers immediately recharge is 100% complete
• Quit operating your car in idle mode to warm it up

If you have an average-sized home, your reliance on electricity and home appliances may be significant. So it is best to replace old appliances that are older than 10 years with new ones; and mind you, new ones must be energy-efficent and installed by licensed professionals. In the case of gas boilers, this will lower #HowMuchCO2 you emit while preserving energy reserves for environmental friendliness.