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Personal Carbon Footprint

I have just used one of the online calculators to assess my carbon footprint. Since I don't run a car or use flights, I would like to think my footprint is low.


Well, it is, but not low enough. Apparently, the average is about 10 tons, whereas the sustainable target for 2050 is 2 tons! I come in about 3 tons.


Most of that is 'indirect' simply through supermarket shopping etc. Not easy to lower that whilst living in our current system?


Created By on 28/03/2019

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Crickette
20th Nov 2021 22:19:04
0
Thanks for voting!
My carbon footprint is low too. I since I live in the boonies where there is no public transportation, I do have to drive to town 27 miles away to shop for groceries. My husband and I only do that every three weeks. I order online and have stuff delivered, but that takes gas in the vehicles of the that deliver it. I am very concerned about this all. Yes, governments have to direct this, but most people I know only give it lip service and then do what they want. It alarms me.
PerfectNumber
9th Apr 2020 11:06:38
0
Thanks for voting!
I see this is over a year old - I've only just arrived, so apologies for the delay! We all need food, and we all need to keep warm - it's ridiculous to expect individuals to punish themselves to reduce their carbon footprints. I do not know your personal spending habits, but small activities that shave a little (no pun intended) off: buy clothes (if you need them) secondhand, keep your dwelling a little cooler, don't buy new furniture or household goods (unless your existing ones have ceased to function, of course).

Having said that, many of these calculators allocate you a fraction of the carbon cost of every bus and train you take, which is absurd - they would be running whether or not you got on them, and (once this lousy pandemic is over) we need more public transport to reduce car use.

And do listen to this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fgcn - Prof Myles Allen on carbon emissions - towards the end, he says we should not expect to reduce climate change by asking individuals to be more ascetic - real change has to be systemic, and government & industry led.

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