CARBON FOOTPRINT VS. MORAL COMPASS

If you’ve cared to pay attention to the carbon-buzz on the internet and the news, mostly about the effects of carbon dioxide on the environment, you would have picked up the notion that carbon dioxide in certain concentrations is harmful to our body and to the environment. That in summary, the amount of carbon emissions trapped in our atmosphere causes global warming and consequently, climate change.

Where you and I come in is how much carbon dioxide each of us sends into the environment.

In practical terms, our carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, that are generated by our actions.

I recommend that you take your carbon footprint as literal as the impression left by your foot or shoes on the ground. This means that if you breathe, live in a house, move from place to place, eat food, you make an imprint on the atmosphere.

To put this in better perspective, approximately how many miles do you travel by car, motorcycle, tricycle, bus, train and plane?

How much energy do you use to cook, light up, heat up or cool your home?

How much do you spend shopping?

What is the composition of your diet?

Researchers state that the average carbon footprint for each person is close to 4tons, this means that on the average, one individual (e.g., you) stamps two male giraffes or an adult hippopotamus on the atmosphere. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2ºC rise in global temperatures, our average global carbon foot print per year needs to go under 2 tons.

Certainly, there has never been a more important time to get informed about how to live more sustainably and do our bit to save the world.

It is therefore fair to say that sustainable-living is our best bet for lowering our carbon footprint. For leaders and citizens, sustainability means making choices to meet our needs without crushing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Quite simply, sustainability is about having a good conscience. But how are we doing regarding morality and conscience all over the world right now? I can say for sure that in Nigeria at the moment, we are reading low on the moral compass; we have dropped the ball on decency and civility.

So where do we go from here?

See you in 2 weeks.

Rhoda,

for Climate Thursday.