BaCCC/Video Summaries/How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by 80%
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Video Summary
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by 80% (17:58)
- Climate catastrophe is not preordained; it is preventable if we adopt a low-carbon lifestyle.
- Governments around the world have agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050, but with the policies and measures in place today, it does not look like emissions will be reduced fast enough to reach the target.
- The average carbon footprint is around 12 tonnes per person per year.
- Regarding electricity, we can switch our lighting to LEDs, choose the most energy-efficient appliances and change to a 100% renewable electricity supply.
- In terms of heat, we can install heating controls, use newer heating systems and insulate our homes.
- When it comes to transport, travelling less frequently, driving an electric vehicle and choosing to walk, cycle or use public transportation such as buses or trains over using one’s own car or taking an aeroplane can help reduce our carbon footprint.
- When it comes to things, we can reduce the number of new things we buy or embrace minimalism and buy more things second-hand.
- Segregating waste also helps reduce the carbon footprint.
- Eating less or no meat, fish, eggs and dairy products and following a plant-based diet can reduce one’s carbon footprint.
- To feed 7.5 billion people on plants alone, we would need around 7% of the landmass of the planet; we are currently using 38% of the landmass of the planet for agriculture including livestock.
- We can achieve an 80% saving in our carbon footprint by adopting a low-carbon lifestyle.
- All of these measures save money, either immediately or in a two-to-five-year period.
- We can go zero-carbon with the help of governments and corporations.
