How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Save Energy
By Bridget Puszka, BP Architects
Reduce your carbon footprint and save. A sustainable home will save you energy. It results in low energy bills and cost savings that are significant over time. So if you are planning to build your new home, it pays to think about the environment. And how you can make the most of the winter sun and summer shading. So you can use natural sun source to warm your home and look forward to the future of low energy bills.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is a measure of greenhouse gases that you produce. These greenhouse gases come from the energy that you use in your everyday activities. The type of fuel you might use every day would be from driving a car or taking a plane flight. You generate greenhouse gases when you use energy to heat your home, whether electricity, oil, gas or coal. Whether you are using electricity or these fossil fuels, it generates greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions measured from these activities will give you your carbon footprint. The measuring of these emissions is as tons of carbon dioxide equal to these greenhouse gas emissions.
Some foods produce more greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing or processing. Plastic bags have a carbon footprint because of the emissions generated in the production of these bags.
How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, it means rethinking what you usually do. The principles of reducing, reuse, recycle and refuse you go a long way towards this. If you follow these principles, you will reduce your carbon footprint. If you look to minimize packaging, use everything and reduce waste; for example, use a thermos instead of plastic cups for coffee. Don’t buy water in plastic bottles unless you have no other choice. Walk instead of drive. Or ride a bike.
You get the picture. It means adopting a whole way of life to reduce your carbon footprint. Rethinking the ordinary and coming up with a sustainable solution. So if riding to work is not sustainable, then car sharing might be more so.
Reduce your carbon footprint by making your home more energy building efficient. You can do this by increasing the insulation and sealing all the cracks. Wear more clothes than put on the heater. Look to eat locally produced food so that transport is not a factor. Vegetables produce fewer greenhouse emissions than meat production. So if you have a diet high in plants, this will result in lower greenhouse emissions. As a result of your actions, you have reduced your carbon footprint.
Find out how we help our Clients with their architect house design. And Learn more about Sustainable Houses. Speak to Bridget, at BP Architects to find out how we can help you with your sustainable home.
