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The Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with all the activities of a person or other entity (e.g: buildings, corporation, country etc.). It includes direct emissions, such as those that result from fuel combustion in industries, heating, and transportation as well as the emissions resulting from the production of the electricity associated with goods and services consumed.
Green House Gases
The 6 Major Green House Gases are
| Gases | 100-year GWP Factor | Typical Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Dioxide | 1 | Energy combustion, Chemical/biochemical reactions |
| Methane | 25 | Decomposition |
| Nitrous Oxide | 298 | Fertilizers, car emissions, manufacturing |
| Hydrofluorocarbons | 22800 | Switch Gears, sub-stations |
| Perfluorocarbons | 7390-12000 | Aluminium Smelting |
| Sulphur hexafluoride | 124-14800 | Refrigerants, Industrial Gases |
What is the GHG Worth?
1 Kg CO2+1 Kg CH4+1 Kg N2O=324 kg of CO2 Equivalent
Effects of greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases have far-ranging environmental and health effects. Climate changes has consequences on- Ocean: Ice Sheets are melting, the extra water in glaciers will cause sea-level rise and causes flooding
- Weather: Warmer Temperature makes weather more extremes this means not only intense major storms, floods and heavy snow fall but also longer and more frequent droughts
- Food: These changes in weather post more challenges, growing crops becomes more difficulty. Water supply are diminished
- Health:
- Climate change directly impacts people’s physical health
- In urban areas, the warmer atmosphere creates an atmosphere that traps and increases the amount of smog
- Exposure to higher level of smog may poses many health issues like asthma, heart disease and lung cancer
Top Options for reducing your carbon footprint
- Use Public Transportation
- Switch to Sustainable and clean energy
- Live Car free
- Recycling
- Eat seasonally, locally and eat more plant based food
- Use Construction Materials which has lesser embodied Carbon
Change of Mindset
"We have to agree how much carbon we can each emit within the limits of what the planet can bear – then make good lives within those boundaries."
Positive and Negative Feedback Loop
Feedback Loops can enhance or buffer the changes that occur in a system.
Positive Feeedback: A perpetual and ongoing cycle of cause and effect. This leads to instability via exponential growth, oscillation or chaotic behaviour. Positive feedback generally promotes stability.
Examples include urban sprawl, population growth and climate change
Negative Feeedback:Loops tend to dampen or buffer changes. It tends to promote a settling to equilibrium and reduces the effects of perturbations. Negative feedback loops in which just the right amount of correction is applied with optimum timing can be very stable, accurate, and responsive.
Examples: BMS systems, Energy meter and Thermostat control
Want to Beat the Heat? Plant a Tree
Trees and other plants help cool the environment, making vegetation a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat islands.
Trees and vegetation lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade and through evapotranspiration. Shaded surfaces, for example, may be 11–25°C cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials. Evapotranspiration, alone or in combination with shading, can help reduce peak summer temperatures by 1–5°C.
Plants cool the surface of the planet in two ways. They cool the air by evaporating water through their leaves. They also moderate the temperature of the ground surface by shading it from direct sunlight. Both of these processes have the greatest impact on sunny summer afternoons.
Following table gives details of the approximate Thermal reduction by different trees
| Species | Indian Name | Temp. (°C) | Thermal Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyera costulata | Jelutong | 33.3 | 5.7 |
| Mesua Ferrea | Nag Kesar, Ceylon Ironwood | 33.5 | 5.5 |
| Samanea saman | Rain Tree | 33.9 | 5.1 |
| Khaya senegalensis | African Mahogany | 35.6 | 3.4 |
| Milletia atropurpurea | Tulang Daing | 34.3 | 4.4 |
| Ficus Benjamin | Ficus Tree | 32.9 | 6.1 |
| Callophyllum inophyllum | Indian Doomba Oiltree, Laurelwood | 32.8 | 6.2 |
| Melaleuca cajuputi | 1-5Cajuput Tree | 30.8 | 8.8 |
| Peltophorum pterocarpum | Peela gulmohar | 31.4 | 7.6 |
| Hopea odorata | White Thingan | 29.8 | 9.2 |
