Installing a solar system in your home or place of business
is an effective way of reducing your carbon footprint, and reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) production which averts climate change. Recent articles on this blog
have made the case that solar energy is a responsible and reliable energy
production source. Energy from conventional utility companies usually use up
coal, gas or oil to produce electricity with detrimental byproducts being
released into the environment. Till date, the debate on the complete
responsibility in the production stream of solar panels vis a vis the release
of GHG as byproducts rage on. In renewable energy, there is no such a thing as
'free lunch' but one could argue that there is a difference between a healthy
and an unhealthy lunch.
It has become almost impossible to go through a day without
noticing the words ‘Climate Change’ being mentioned on the radio, television or
on the street. Sometimes we pause while in heavy traffic and listen into the
discussion, but most often we scroll the dial to that station with a blaring
tune to help us get to work while being entertained. The reason may be because
this information is so clustered and from too many directions and platforms it
becomes suffocating and almost incomprehensible.
So what is a Carbon Footprint?
Before splashing into detailed issues, let’s discuss the
carbon Footprint. As the title dictates – it’s basically an imprint left behind
by a process or the proof of an ongoing/completed process. Just as printing an
email leaves the letters on paper, so is doing activities that increase the
content of carbon in the atmosphere leave a measurable imprint of carbon on the
earth. These activities can be as small as burning paper to as large as
producing electricity through the burning of coal. Other day to day activities
such as driving a car and using oil to heat your home in winter also increase
the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. This is because these activities
produce carbon dioxide as byproduct which interacts with other gases in the
atmosphere leading to other issues we will discuss in a different blog update.
There are also secondary ways that increase our carbon
footprint such as consuming products that require much fossil fuel during its
production and transportation to the store. Deforestation practices increase
our carbon footprint as vegetation use carbon dioxide to produce energy hence
reducing its content in the environment. Each individual, business or
community’s carbon footprint can be calculated using a series of activities
called Carbon Counting.
As soon as the amount of carbon dioxide produced is known,
measures can be implemented to reduce the footprint. This can be done through
life style changes, and seeking alternative measures for energy production such
as solar, wind and geothermal. This process is known as Carbon offsetting.
Scientists advice that the best way for businesses to reduce their carbon
footprint is to decrease the energy needed for production, and decrease
dependence on fossil fuels.
The debate will continue in a future article. Stay tuned,
and please let us know what you think about this discussion and if there are
ideas you’d like to share in the comment section below.