It wasn't so long ago that an environment-friendly person just had to recycle properly. However, the goal posts have been shifted a long way due to growing concern over the uncomfortable and inconvenient truth of climate change and global warming that is causing a rise in the sea level and abnormal weather, rapid depletion of natural resources, etc. It's simply not eco awareness these days if a person isn't being completely carbon neutral.
It's a simple but strikingly brilliant concept. If every entity, be it an individual, business or organization, learns to take responsibility for curbing their own carbon emissions, there isn't anything more that needs to be done. It doesn't work that way in reality because people have other priorities that take precedence over leading a green lifestyle.
But the bigger problem is that people don't care, which may be because they don't know about this existential crisis facing the planet or they think it's just some climate scientists and tree-huggers looking for publicity. It's why a lot of efforts undertaken by various governments and non-profit organizations focus more on awareness campaigns than on passing regulations or laws. Events like Earth Day or Earth Hour are not just about saving resources for that brief period of time, but more about engaging large sections of the population and teaching them the importance of conservation and the dangers of not doing so.
But let's say a person who's now eco-aware wants to lead a green and carbon-neutral lifestyle. It can be done using two methods. The first one is to reduce emissions as far as possible. The second way is to offset whatever there is left over with carbon credits.
Reduction of emissions in every aspect of an individual's life is harder than it sounds. Let's take vehicles as an example. It's possible to completely eliminate all the emissions caused by driving, if it is done in an electric vehicle that uses clean power for charging. Buying an EV and installing a solar power generation system is not easy or cheap, but the emissions and fuel costs it eliminates are well worth the trouble and expense.
Within the home, there are likewise a host of methods to reduce energy usage and other consumption. Living in a LEED certified building or at least doing a top-to-bottom energy retrofit will vastly reduce electricity usage and save money on bills. Water can be saved on everything from lawns (use artificial grass) to dual-flush tanks in the toilet. Preparing meals using sustainably grown local produce goes a long way towards reducing personal emissions.
An eco-friendly workplace is just as important, and this is where corporate responsibility takes over from the individual. Companies must implement green practices and make use of natural materials in their products that can be easily recycled. Factories must have solar arrays on the rooftop providing clean power, and offices must go paperless in order to help stop deforestation. Industrial waste must be processed and recycled instead of being pumped into landfills, rivers and oceans.
Even those who do all this and a lot more besides will still end up with at least some carbon in their column. That's where the credits come into the picture. Do everything possible to reduce personal and corporate emissions, and balance the rest by paying for it. The seller will take the trouble to generate clean power, plant trees or something like that which cuts emissions by an equal amount.
It's a simple but strikingly brilliant concept. If every entity, be it an individual, business or organization, learns to take responsibility for curbing their own carbon emissions, there isn't anything more that needs to be done. It doesn't work that way in reality because people have other priorities that take precedence over leading a green lifestyle.
But the bigger problem is that people don't care, which may be because they don't know about this existential crisis facing the planet or they think it's just some climate scientists and tree-huggers looking for publicity. It's why a lot of efforts undertaken by various governments and non-profit organizations focus more on awareness campaigns than on passing regulations or laws. Events like Earth Day or Earth Hour are not just about saving resources for that brief period of time, but more about engaging large sections of the population and teaching them the importance of conservation and the dangers of not doing so.
But let's say a person who's now eco-aware wants to lead a green and carbon-neutral lifestyle. It can be done using two methods. The first one is to reduce emissions as far as possible. The second way is to offset whatever there is left over with carbon credits.
Reduction of emissions in every aspect of an individual's life is harder than it sounds. Let's take vehicles as an example. It's possible to completely eliminate all the emissions caused by driving, if it is done in an electric vehicle that uses clean power for charging. Buying an EV and installing a solar power generation system is not easy or cheap, but the emissions and fuel costs it eliminates are well worth the trouble and expense.
Within the home, there are likewise a host of methods to reduce energy usage and other consumption. Living in a LEED certified building or at least doing a top-to-bottom energy retrofit will vastly reduce electricity usage and save money on bills. Water can be saved on everything from lawns (use artificial grass) to dual-flush tanks in the toilet. Preparing meals using sustainably grown local produce goes a long way towards reducing personal emissions.
An eco-friendly workplace is just as important, and this is where corporate responsibility takes over from the individual. Companies must implement green practices and make use of natural materials in their products that can be easily recycled. Factories must have solar arrays on the rooftop providing clean power, and offices must go paperless in order to help stop deforestation. Industrial waste must be processed and recycled instead of being pumped into landfills, rivers and oceans.
Even those who do all this and a lot more besides will still end up with at least some carbon in their column. That's where the credits come into the picture. Do everything possible to reduce personal and corporate emissions, and balance the rest by paying for it. The seller will take the trouble to generate clean power, plant trees or something like that which cuts emissions by an equal amount.
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