Carbon Footprint

What is our Carbon Footprint
The amount of carbon emmissions into the atmosphere.  Some are natural, and some are man made.  Some of our biggest emmiters are transportation and buildings.


By insulation, and maximizing the efficiency of our heating system, and driving a Prius, we are trying to minimize our carbon footprint. By a quick calculation on an online calculator, Ginny and I emit about 50% of what the average american emits.  But we are also responsible for about 5 times the emission of the average household worldwide.

How can we alter our footprint fairly easily?
-Walk or bike instead of driving.  Get a credit of one pound of carbon for every mile you bike or walk.
-Plant a tree.  Trees convert Carbon Dioxide into carbon and store the carbon as wood for the lifetime of the tree.  This both removes carbon dioxide and sequesters carbon.  Unfortunately, at the present time, the world is being deforested.  South America leads the deforestation with cutting and burning of the rainforest in Brazil ad Between 1990 and 2000 the world forest has decreased by 0.2% per year.  The largest losses,in the Amazon rainforest, where forest is being cleared for soybean cultivation and cattle ranches.  In Africa:  Nigeria and Sudan are the leaders in deforestation due to subsistance living.  Tropical southeast Asia and Central America are also areas of large deforestation due to development.
-Recycle household trash. This is fairly easy here in Onondaga County, where we have curbside pickup of recylables in blue bins every week, along with the garbage.  The plastics and paper are separated by the home owner.
-Teleconference, or in my case, use Skype.  We have visited my brother, my sister and her family along with my mother, and my sons apartment in New York, all by Skype.  Though not quite the same as being there, it is much better to see people, than a phone or email and pictures.  Especially with the portable laptop and netbook computers, we can show people around our area.
-Change your lighting to the compact fluorescent lights.  We have done that, and are looking for the new LED lighting to come down in price and we will replace the cfl's as they burn out.
-Buy renewable energy.  This is an available option here in Syracuse, but one I have not yet taken advantage of, due to the increased price of the renewable electricity..