Creation Care

There’s a lot of talk these days about our “carbon footprint” but what does that really mean? Your carbon footprint is simply a measure of the impact of human activities on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases, measured in units of carbon dioxide. Our carbon footprint is made up of two distinct components:

 

• Primary Footprint This is a measure of direct CO₂ emissions      from the burning of fossil fuels. Activities include home energy usage      such as heat and electricity, as well as transportation such as driving or      air travel
• Secondary Footprint This is a measure of indirect CO₂  emissions related to the entire      life-cycle of a product, including its manufacture, transportation and      decomposition

 

According to calculations by BP (a fossil fuel energy company), as cited on FoxNews.com, the average U.S. household generates 19 metric tons or 41,895 pounds of CO₂ each year. Of course, scientists differ on what the long-term effect of greenhouse gases will be, but there is no disagreement that it is happening and does affect our environment.

 

From a stewardship standpoint, the question is what can we do to reduce our carbon footprint? In the next few months, we’ll provide tangible steps you can take, but in the meantime, here are two that make a huge impact, as suggested by a special Energy Report in the Wall Street Journal (November 12, 2007):

 

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Replacing regular incandescent bulbs with CFL’s, as they’re called, is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do. A 25-watt CFL provides the same light as a 100-watt bulb with only a quarter of the energy usage, saving the equivalent of 100 pounds of CO₂ emissions each year, as well as saving money on your electric bill. Better yet, a recent study by Popular Mechanics magazine determined that people prefer the light from a CFL to a regular incandescent bulb. Although CFL’s cost more, their price is coming down significantly and they last much longer than regular bulbs. Two important notes:

1. When installing a CFL, turn it on and let it stay on for six to eight hours. This “burn in” will extend its life to the upper end of its five to six year life.

2. CFL’s contain toxic gases, so its important to dispose of them properly. Most county landfills now have collection centers for CFL’s to avoid a harmful effect on the environment

 

Recycling While CFL’s impact our primary carbon footprint, recycling reduces our secondary imprint. Recycling reduces landfill gas generated by decaying matter, as well as the amount of energy to manufacture new products. For example, recycling an aluminum can cuts the energy needed to make a new can by 95%. A household of four that recycles all its newsprint, aluminum, steel, plastic and gas can reduce its solid waste footprint by 41% from 4,072 pounds to 2,384 pounds of CO₂ emissions per year.