Global warming is a wide concern all over the world, it resulted due to excessive gas emissions damaging the ozone layer causing an increase in the normal temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The rising of temperatures causes hotter weather, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfalls and stronger hurricanes. To prevent further damage to our ozone layer controlling the carbon emissions are vital. One solution is to plant more trees to produce oxygen and balances the carbon dioxide, use of solar panels in providing energy and not from burning of fuels, conserving of water resources, and properly utilization of electric power. The world today is being driven by manufacturing companies in terms of basic commodities such as our food and beverages. From farm (raw materials) to final products (frozen, processed, and/or canned goods), processing alone produces carbon dioxide emissions. In recent years, China is one of the most producing carbon dioxide emissions of about 28% (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018) mainly because China is the main manufacturing capital of the world. Other sources of gas emissions are fossil fuels for transportation and electricity which are also used in the manufacturing of food.

How do we contribute to reduce our carbon footprint?

Carbon footprints are an individual contributions to gas emission, the greener your footprints the greater your contribution to saving us from global warming. Each of us has an important role, let’s say in our daily activities from basic needs to our wants we should consider the energy used in producing such products or goods. Lifestyle plays an important role in reducing your carbon footprint, here are some tips we can follow:

• From our food selection, instead of consuming imported products (the shipments of product that uses fuel) it is best to consume locally produced products.
• Use of reusable containers than plastic wraps. Even in cafes it is better to bring your own tumbler or container and ditch use of disposables wares.
• Stop wasting food, in your household make sure to consume all the food before its expiry date or rotten date because foods thrown away in landfills emit methane that is a potent greenhouse gas (Kabala, 2020).
• Consume less meat and start eating plant-based protein. According to Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia; meats such as pork, beef and other ruminants release large amount of methane emission. Consuming plant-based protein which helps in cutting greenhouse gas emission and not compromising your protein requirement is your best option.
• Growing you own produce. By doing backyard gardening which is cost-efficient it can help us reduce the greenhouse gas emission as it can save you from use of plastics from your local grocery/market and your carbon emission from use of transportation from a long distance.

In the end, a change in diet and lifestyle helps you boost your health and contribute to a greater goal which is to lessen the carbon emission. Keep in mind small efforts when combined together makes a big difference. Help us share this information with your neighbors and friends. Let us all help one another to save our habitat, it is the only home we have.

ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND

References:

• https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101#weather
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25527762/
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-reduce-carbon-footprint#2.-Ditch-the-plastic
• https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/each-countrys-share-co2-emissions
• https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-change/reducing-livestock-greenhouse-gas-emissions