About carbon footprint
What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is a manner of measuring the amount of carbon emissions an individual or group of people emit into the atmosphere. It is measured in tons and can be visually represented by the number of earths that would be needed to sustain life if everyone had similar habits to the ones being measured.
Why is knowing your carbon footprint important?
Knowing about carbon emissions allows us to see how we are contributing to the overall pollution our world is facing today. Every single act that we perform throughout the day has an impact on our planet, both on the resources used and the waste it creates. Throughout the day, our carbon emissions accumulate to a large amount and when you consider 7 billion other individuals doing the same, it places a very heavy load of carbon into our atmosphere. Even though we have natural carbon sinks, such as trees and the oceans that absorb CO2, they too have a limit on the amount of carbon they can absorb. This leaves the rest to flow freely throughout our environment, damaging ecosystems in countless ways. This is a serious problem that is mounting each day. As responsible future leaders we need to take action now to reduce our carbon footprint. In order to save our environment we all need to recognize the issue, take action to reduce the damage, and spread the word!
A carbon footprint is a manner of measuring the amount of carbon emissions an individual or group of people emit into the atmosphere. It is measured in tons and can be visually represented by the number of earths that would be needed to sustain life if everyone had similar habits to the ones being measured.
Why is knowing your carbon footprint important?
Knowing about carbon emissions allows us to see how we are contributing to the overall pollution our world is facing today. Every single act that we perform throughout the day has an impact on our planet, both on the resources used and the waste it creates. Throughout the day, our carbon emissions accumulate to a large amount and when you consider 7 billion other individuals doing the same, it places a very heavy load of carbon into our atmosphere. Even though we have natural carbon sinks, such as trees and the oceans that absorb CO2, they too have a limit on the amount of carbon they can absorb. This leaves the rest to flow freely throughout our environment, damaging ecosystems in countless ways. This is a serious problem that is mounting each day. As responsible future leaders we need to take action now to reduce our carbon footprint. In order to save our environment we all need to recognize the issue, take action to reduce the damage, and spread the word!
What are we doing about CLima Conference’s carbon footprint?
We, the Carbon Team, are in charge of finding ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the CLima Conference held at FDR, by making every action that goes into the planning of the conference as green as possible. Once we have made those modifications in order to have the minimum carbon emissions possible, we will calculate the footprint we unavoidably produce, using a carbon calculator. Then, we will offset the carbon we did produce by using the donations that we get from our sponsors in order to give back to the environment. For example, buy a piece of rainforest to conserve and protect it from deforestation.
We, the Carbon Team, are in charge of finding ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the CLima Conference held at FDR, by making every action that goes into the planning of the conference as green as possible. Once we have made those modifications in order to have the minimum carbon emissions possible, we will calculate the footprint we unavoidably produce, using a carbon calculator. Then, we will offset the carbon we did produce by using the donations that we get from our sponsors in order to give back to the environment. For example, buy a piece of rainforest to conserve and protect it from deforestation.
What can visiting schools be doing about their carbon footprint?
If you are part of a team that will be attending the CLima conference here at FDR in November, there are various activities you can complete before coming. One of them is calculating your carbon footprint. There are countless carbon calculators on the web that can be used to calculate your carbon footprint. We recommend www.carbonfootprint.com, where you can choose the country you currently reside in and have your calculations accommodated to certain specifications. Calculating your carbon footprint will enable you to see which parts of your daily life are producing the most carbon emissions so that you can make a conscious effort to reduce them. After having seen your carbon emission output, there are several steps you can undertake to reduce it. Small actions such as carpooling, taking public transportation, turning of the lights when not needed, and eating less meat can greatly reduce the amount of carbon emission. Once you have calculated the amount of carbon you emit, you can also buy carbon offset credits, by donating money to an environmental organization, to neutralize the amount of carbon emissions you are letting out into the atmosphere. We are the ones causing global warming; we have to be the ones to stop it.
Take a look at this website created by FDR students, to learn more about how your food choices impact your carbon footprint:
http://goodiesforthebelly.weebly.com/
If you want to contact us, please e-mail the Carbon Team leader, Pamela Paz, at [email protected]
If you are part of a team that will be attending the CLima conference here at FDR in November, there are various activities you can complete before coming. One of them is calculating your carbon footprint. There are countless carbon calculators on the web that can be used to calculate your carbon footprint. We recommend www.carbonfootprint.com, where you can choose the country you currently reside in and have your calculations accommodated to certain specifications. Calculating your carbon footprint will enable you to see which parts of your daily life are producing the most carbon emissions so that you can make a conscious effort to reduce them. After having seen your carbon emission output, there are several steps you can undertake to reduce it. Small actions such as carpooling, taking public transportation, turning of the lights when not needed, and eating less meat can greatly reduce the amount of carbon emission. Once you have calculated the amount of carbon you emit, you can also buy carbon offset credits, by donating money to an environmental organization, to neutralize the amount of carbon emissions you are letting out into the atmosphere. We are the ones causing global warming; we have to be the ones to stop it.
Take a look at this website created by FDR students, to learn more about how your food choices impact your carbon footprint:
http://goodiesforthebelly.weebly.com/
If you want to contact us, please e-mail the Carbon Team leader, Pamela Paz, at [email protected]
Reducing the Carbon Footprint:
To reduce the carbon footprint, the Carbon Team has asked each of the CLima groups to take measures in order to mitigate the negative impact of the conference. For example, the publications and communication will be online to use as less paper as possible, and the usage of electricity in the classrooms will also be maintained at a minimum. In terms of transport, the large natural gas buses will be used and will pick up as many passengers as possible in each trip in order to avoid using extra buses and therefore release unnecessary carbon. Lastly, we have contacted the food providers to discuss the availability of a vegetarian meal and reduction of red meats in the menu.
To reduce the carbon footprint, the Carbon Team has asked each of the CLima groups to take measures in order to mitigate the negative impact of the conference. For example, the publications and communication will be online to use as less paper as possible, and the usage of electricity in the classrooms will also be maintained at a minimum. In terms of transport, the large natural gas buses will be used and will pick up as many passengers as possible in each trip in order to avoid using extra buses and therefore release unnecessary carbon. Lastly, we have contacted the food providers to discuss the availability of a vegetarian meal and reduction of red meats in the menu.
Reminder-
Please do the following in order to support the carbon team in reducing the carbon footprint of the conference:
If you are planning on attending the conference, please bring a re-usable water bottle, or be prepared to purchase one on campus.
Also, bring an electronic device such as a laptop or an iPad since everything will be done electronically.
Please do the following in order to support the carbon team in reducing the carbon footprint of the conference:
If you are planning on attending the conference, please bring a re-usable water bottle, or be prepared to purchase one on campus.
Also, bring an electronic device such as a laptop or an iPad since everything will be done electronically.