According to The Scientific American “we are losing upwards of 80,000 acres of tropical rainforest daily, and significantly degrading another 80,000 acres every day on top of that.” This means, in the time that it has taken me to research, collate, and write this article, we have lost approximately three-thousand-three-hundred-and-thirty-three acres of tropical rainforest.
This may be a difficult figure to wrap ones head around, so let me attempt to explain it with an easier conceptualisation: the average soccer pitch is one acre. Multiply that image by three-thousand.
Can you envision it?The concept of global warming is a sadly disputed fact, with many deniers claiming it to be a natural part of the Earths “cycles.” It is however, interesting to note that NASA mentions “multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree,” humans play a significant impact on the current shift in the Earth’s climate.
But how can YOU make a difference?
Making a few small changes at home will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but also save you some money… an added benefit of being socially conscious…
- Switch off electrical appliances whilst not in use
This should be an obvious one – “standby mode” does not mean that the appliance is off.
Whilst a single device may not use much in the greater scheme of things, having more than a few appliances on standby mode quickly adds up
- LED, LED, LED
Current trends in lighting in home décor indicate a shift towards the use of LED bulbs as opposed to the usual incandescent bulbs. Not only are the energy consumptions significantly different, but, you guessed it…the cost efficiency of LED lights far outstrips their incandescent predecessors.
- Walk, cycle, or use public transport
We live in a generation where the vast majority of people go to a gym of one-sort-or-another, but, you’d be surprised as to the difference a short walk to the grocery store/school/work can make to your overall levels of health – not only will you be decreasing your use of fossil fuels, but the added benefits of spending some good old fashioned time outdoors will prove itself true.
There are of course many other ways to reduce your carbon footprint -- remember, it is our generation that will be held accountable not for its decision making, but for it's lack of action.The threat of Climate Changeand thehuman impact on animal populationsshould not be ignored.
