Your carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide. The Carbon Footprint Calculator will determine your current footprint, based on a number of factors including fuel usage and travel.
There are several things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint:
- Purchase renewable energy if offered in your area, or install your own electricity generators, such as solar systems to lower your grid usage. Here in Albuquerque, PNM offers the Sky Blue program. This allows customers to purchase New Mexico wind energy.
- Turn off lights and electrical devices when not in use.
- Turn down the air conditioning a few degrees.
- Lower the water heater temperate.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Hang your clothes outside to dry, rather than use a clothes dryer.
Along with reducing your carbon footprint, you can offset your carbon footprint in a number of ways:
- Plant a tree. Trees reduce CO2 by a process known as carbon sequestration. Basically, tress breathe in CO2 and release oxygen into the air.
- Purchase carbon offsets from a company such as TerraPass. Your money is used to fund renewable energy projects such as wind farms.
Using these methods, you can reduce your carbon footprint to zero and know that you are doing your part to stop global warming and protect the environment.
