{"id":510,"date":"2013-05-04T04:47:43","date_gmt":"2013-05-04T04:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=510"},"modified":"2013-05-04T04:47:43","modified_gmt":"2013-05-04T04:47:43","slug":"knowing-your-carbon-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/knowing-your-carbon-footprint\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowing your carbon footprint"},"content":{"rendered":"

By P.A. Castro<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may sound like a far stretch, but flying to the US to be with a loved one can be likened to burning kaingin<\/em> style a parcel of land (also known as slash and burn farming). At least it would be if the concept of carbon footprints \u2013 a \u201cmeasure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change; it relates to the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation, et cetera<\/em>,\u201d states carbonfootprint.com \u2013 is followed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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While with burning kaingin style the carbon emission is obvious, flying (or, for that matter, using various forms of transportation) entails the need to combust fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas. And when fossil fuels burn, they, too, emit GHGs like CO2 that inadvertently contribute to global warming, what with 98% of atmospheric CO2 coming from the combustion of fossil fuels (Energy Information Administration<\/a>).<\/p>\n

So, yes, flying to the US to be with a loved one can be likened to slash and burn farming.<\/p>\n

DIFFERENT FOOTPRINTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carbon footprint can be broken down into the primary and secondary footprints.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, the primary footprint is more personal, since it is the sum of direct emissions of GHGs from the burning of fossil fuels for, say, energy consumption and transportation. Thus, \u201cmore fuel-efficient cars have a smaller primary footprint, as do energy-efficient light bulbs in your home or office,\u201d states Maggie L. Walser, writing in The Encyclopedia of Earth<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the secondary footprint is still personal, albeit on a broader scale, as it is the \u201csum of indirect emissions of GHGs during the lifecycle of products used by an individual or organization. For example, the greenhouse gases emitted during the production of plastic for water bottles, as well as the energy used to transport the water, contributes to the secondary carbon footprint. Products with more packaging will generally have a larger secondary footprint than products with a minimal amount of packaging.\u201d To put it simply, the \u201cmore we buy the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter the type, though, \u201cbecause of the presence of GHGs in our atmosphere, the average temperature of the Earth is 14 \u00baC (57 \u00baF). Without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature of the atmosphere would be -19 \u00baC (-2.2 \u00baF),\u201d Walser states.<\/p>\n

CUTTING FOOTPRINTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the UNDP \u2013 United Nation\u2019s global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life \u2013 in the Philippines, there are simple things that can be done to reduce one\u2019s carbon footprint, including:<\/p>\n