Your carbon footprint is a measurement of the impact you have in terms of greenhouse gas emissions your life is producing.
Many of the things you do daily are sending greenhouses gases into the atmosphere and increasing the environmental burden the earth is carrying. Whenever you drive your car or motorbike, travel in an aeroplane or turn on the gas hob or barbecue you are sending CO2 into the air. If you heat your house by gas, or your electricity is generated by burning natural gas or other fossil fuels the outcome is the same.
Per capita figures for carbon emissions show that whilst an American sends a yearly total of some 20 tons of carbon dioxide into the air whilst someone in the UK is responsible for around 10 tons. It may be obvious to use that folks in the USA have a potential to cut greenhouse gases at a far higher rate than in the UK, but that is no excuse not to minimise our individual carbon footprint. This is not particularly difficult.
Here are some effective ways:
Cut down on your petrol/diesel usage. Drive a more economical car or share your drive to work (this can save a great deal) bicycle to work or even walk or take the bus.
Generate your own electricity and reduce waste by adding solar panels for your home, installing a wind turbine or a ground source heat pump, collecting rainwater for reuse and recycling household waste.
Reduce your energy usage in the home. There are simple ways. Don’t use your oven for only one item. Bung in an extra pie or casserole and freeze for later (use an energy efficient chest freezer)
You can find out your carbon footprint by using the calculator on the WWF website. Try it. You may really want to change afterwards!