CARBON FOOTPRINT

Batthyány Lajos Grammar School and Secondary Medical School

HungaryKocsis Eszter, Várfalvi Réka

DEFINITION OF CARBON FOOTPRINT

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Secondary footprint Primary footprint

EFFECTS OF CO2

• Sea level rise

• Impacts on agriculture

• Reduction of the ozone layer

• Increased extreme weather

• Spread of diseases

• Ecosystem change

What will happen in the future if we do nothing?

• Climate model simulations predict an increase in average surface air temperature of about 2.5°C by the year 2100 (Kattenberg et al., 1996).

• The likelihood of "killer" heat waves during the warm season will increase (Karl et al., 1997)

• The IPCC Second Assessment Report estimates that sea-levels will rise by approximately 49 cm over the next 100 years, with a range of uncertainty of 20-86 cm.

• Sea-level rise will lead to increased coastal flooding through direct inundation and an increase in the base for storm surges, allowing flooding of larger areas and higher elevations.

• Further melting of the Arctic Ice Caps (at the current rate) could be sufficient to turn off the ocean currents that drive the Gulf Stream, which keeps Britain up to 6°C warmer than it would otherwise be.

Reduction of carbon footprint

For individuals• Turn off your lights, TV, DVD player,

mobile phone, computer, when you don’t use them.

• Turn down the central heating slightly

• Fill your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load.

• Do your daily shopping, when you go home after work

• Slow down your driving

• Use laptop

• Switch down your screensaver setting to blank screen

• Use biogradable nappies.

• Fit energy saving light bulbs

• Recycle your grey water

• Replace your old fridge or freezer if it is older than 15 years old

• Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler

Traveling

• Use bicycle, bus or train rather than your car

• For short journeys either walk or cycle

• Try to reduce the number of flights you take

Buying habits• Don’t buy bottled water if your tap water is

safe to drink

• Buy local fruit and vegetables, or even try growing your own

• Growing your own camomile or mint for herbal tea rather than using factory made tea bags

• Buy in season. Locally produced goods

• Reduce your consuption of meat

• Don’t buy fresh fruit and vegetables which are out of season, they may have been flown in

• Try to only buy products made close to home

• Buy organic produce

• Don’t buy packaged products

• Recycle as much as possible

Calculations of our carbon footprint

House 3.26 tonna CO2

Flights 0.30 tonna CO2

Car 6.35 tonna CO2

Motorbike 0.00 tonna CO2

Bus and train 0.79 tonna CO2

Secondary 4.48 tonna CO2

Total = 15.18 tonna CO2

• My average footprint in a year is 15.18 ton CO2• The average footprint of population of Hungary is 5.65 ton CO2• The average footprint of industrial coutries is 11 ton CO2• The average footprint of the world is about 4 ton CO2• If we want to stop the climate change we should have just 2 ton average footprint

my footprint

Hungary's footprint

the aim to save our planet

The end