Are You Carbon Footprint Aware?

In this day and age, the various modes of public transportation are staggering. It was only decades ago that having one car per household seemed like a luxury and air travel was restricted to those who could easily afford to fly. Nowadays, with so many budget airlines offering mega deals and super saving packages, it's no wonder the number of people going abroad is on the increase and the volume of domestic flights keeps on rising.

This piece of information may seem unimportant and trivial at best. After all, what's the point in knowing that more people went on holiday by plane this year than last year? It all boils down to two words: carbon footprint.

SafeClimate defines the term 'carbon footprint' as " a representation of the effect you, or your organization, have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases you produce (measured in units of carbon dioxide)." Essentially, a carbon footprint is made up of two parts: the direct/primary footprint and the indirect/secondary footprint. The first, or primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels, including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane), whereas the secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - from the products' manufacture through to its usage and eventual breakdown.

However, it's possible to reduce your carbon footprint in several ways. One method is to alter the way you would normally travel when going on a holiday or business trip. If the flight was domestic, could another mode of transportation be used? Transport by car, ferry or train is often cheaper and won't take that much longer. If you're going on a business trip, does the meeting really require to be conducted in person? Or can a video conference call be just as sufficient?

When travelling by road, various factors can be used to justify the use: distance driven, fuel (whether you use petrol or diesel), fuel efficiency and number of passengers per vehicle. If you're travelling solo, why not consider carpooling with friends or colleagues? Alternatively, ditch the car altogether and opt for coach travel. With several companies offering a multitude of routes between towns and cities, coach travel can prove to be more economical and efficient, as well as stress-free as you won't be needed to do the driving! But, if eliminating the car isn't an option, then why not create or sign up to a car scheme in your area?

Or, if you're in the possession of a bicycle, why not use that more often instead? Cycling to work or to any other location not only lowers your carbon footprint, it also counts as an active form of exercise. So not only will you improving your own well-being, you'll also be contributing to the well-being of the planet.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist and part time writer.