This week the challenge from Reduce Footprints concerns the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Before I explain what the challenge is I’d like to share what the concern really is over our greenhouse gasses and the number 350 ppm means.
You would have to go back more than 650,000 years to see numbers that reached over 300ppm. Prior to the Industrial Revolution for 2.5 million years the earth stayed at 280 ppm or lower. The facts come from the ice core samples that have been studied which shows that CO2 levels stayed between 180-210 ppm during the ice ages and 280-300 during warmer “interglacials”
400 ppm looked at another way may bring the science closer to home for you. If you have a room 20 feet by 20 feet 400 ppm means the air would contain 3 gallons of greenhouse gas pollution as well as 7.5 (US) gallons of natural carbon dioxide. To learn more and see graphics that will help you understand the science click here.
These numbers fluctuate, during the colder months and before the trees bloom the numbers have been rising. Our oceans and the vegetation helps to absorb the CO2, but humans are obviously producing too much by means of fossil fuel use for the natural users of carbon dioxide to keep up with us. I don’t know about you but when I hear the numbers of gallons of pollution and that much carbon in my apartment, which is very close to the square feet of the 20′ by 20′ room in the above example, I want to fill my entire apartment with living plants to clean the air.
We can’t have a forest inside our homes, which means we need to get serious about doing something about our carbon footprint, NOW.
This brings us to this weeks challenge at Reduce Footprints can help you if you want to take action today.
Change the World Wednesday,
This week, unplug household appliances on standby. Pay special attention to any appliances with a clock or lighted panel (microwaves, coffee makers, etc)…Those are the obvious signs that energy is being used even when the appliance isn’t. Also, look for phantom energy use…phone chargers, TVs, recording devices, etc. They all use energy when plugged in. Turn off the computer and monitor when not in use. Worried about maintaining your internet connection? Then leave the modem on but turn everything else off. Consider a power bar to make this task easier.
Buy only local foods, and products this week. Thereby reducing the amount of fuel used to get products from their origin to you.
Go on a “no-spending” diet this week. Refuse to purchase anything but the bare necessities thereby reducing the industrial process to manufacture stuff.
This may seem like quite a challenge, but it’s not really that hard. When you think about your children living in rooms that have gallons of green house pollution in them, no matter how clean your home is don’t you want to change that?
I will be doing all three challenges this week.
Part one I already do so that’s not much of a challenge. I have 4 outlets being used in my home. One holds a power strip for my modem and a lamp on my nightstand. The second has one lamp plugged in, and this one:
Since it is after dark right now, the wall lamp (holding a 13 watt CFL bulb) is plugged in and turned on. This outlet is the most used outlet in the house. My notebook is charged there when needed, as is my phone. When my chair needs charged it gets plugged in to this outlet. Heavy use from one outlet! But nothing stays plugged in to it when not in use. When I plug in my sewing machine it is usually in this outlet as well.
My fourth outlet is under the counter in the kitchen area. Being hard to access I have a power strip plugged in which is turned off until I need to use electricity in the kitchen, or to run the vacuum.
So you see, I have part one covered.
Part 2 isn’t quite as easy. I do buy nearly all my food from the farmer’s market or pick it from the garden. But there are things not available locally yet, such as apples and a good many vegetables such as cabbage which is getting closer to being able to harvest. I do enjoy bananas as well. For this week, I will finish up the apples I already have and purchase no more, living locally instead.
Part 3 is probably as easy as part 1 simply put because I hate to shop. I attempted a no-spend month for all of January of this year, but fell short. I needed to purchase a birthday present and a few supplies to work on my furniture. But those situations are covered for this week, Not so in September when I have 4 birthdays to attend! I have everything I need to finish the items I plan to finish this month which leaves only necessities to purchase.
I’m also going to increase the number of plants in my apartment :-) Turning the front window into a salad bar should help.
Are you concerned about the levels of Carbon Dioxide which are steadily increasing in the atmosphere? Have you ever taken a look at what those levels mean to you and your family today? Will you take on one or more of the challenges posed by Small Footprints this week?