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REDUCE PACKAGING
Most products are ‘over’ packaged when we buy them in the shops. Packaging is manufactured in factories that consume electricity and use other forms of power, usually produced through the burning of fossil fuels. If we reduce the amount of packaging this will help reduce our carbon footprint. If we use recycled materials for packaging this would also be helpful. Plastics are an oil based product. Recycling waste plastic will help further.

ENERGY CONSERVATION
Turning down our heating or wearing a jumper/pullover instead of turning up the heating conserves fuel. We should all ensure that our homes are insulated against the cold and so require less energy to keep them warm. Insulated water tanks, loft insulation, installing double glazing, energy efficient boilers - all reduce our carbon footprint. Using energy saving bulbs reduces the amount of electricity we use in our homes.

GREEN ENERGY
It is now possible to purchase electricity from a green supplier. This is electricity produced with minimum impact on the environment mainly through wind turbines and water power. Although more expensive, the consumer knows that his/her carbon footprint has been reduced.
Some consumers purchase their own wind turbine or solar panels, reducing their reliance on the national grid.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HOMES - Eco Properties
Modern building techniques enable us to build energy efficient homes. This means more than just increasing the insulation inside the home. Environmentally friendly houses can be constructed from sustainable materials including natural woods. This type of home takes full advantage of materials such as timber frames, wool insulation and straw bale walls. Solar thermal hot water heating systems on the roof and photovoltaic panels for generating electricity can also be included.
Other features of an environmentally friendly house are:
Wood fired central heating systems are becoming more popular as gas and electricity prices rise. Rainwater harvesting for flushing the WC and water collection from sinks and bath for watering the garden. Large amounts of glazing to allow lots of daylight. Heat recovery systems for space heating. All these feature reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and reduce our carbon footprint.

PLANTING TREES
Planting trees is another way of reducing carbon in the atmosphere. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Trees are sometimes referred to as carbon sinks as they absorb carbon from the atmosphere cleaning our air.

HOW COULD YOU REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?

In the space below explain how you could reduce your daily carbon footprint. List the activity and alongside it ways of altering/changing it to reduce your footprint.
 

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