There are two different terms for the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere; zero carbon footprint and carbon neutralizing. These two terms are different from each other but have the same goal. Both have a lot of advantages for humans as well as the Earth we live on. Making the Earth a better place is our duty. Consider Earth as your home! Now, you definitely wouldn’t want your home to become an uninhabitable place. Therefore, you shouldn’t let the Earth become uninhabitable. Let’s learn more about zero carbon and carbon neutralizing!
Everything About The Zero-carbon Footprint
Before learning anything about zero carbon footprint, you must understand this concept. Zero carbon footprint basically means that there is no carbon released in the environment so that there is no need for reducing or offsetting it. There are many ways to reduce carbon emission in the environment. Zero carbon footprint can occur in different ways. ’Let’s learn about such ways in-depth!
Stop Eating Meat
Eating meat and agribusiness contribute to a lot of carbon emissions in the air. If you stop eating meat, there won’t be any need for the cutting of beef. Due to this, there won’t be any carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Red meat is one of the harmful meats in this world. Red meat produces five times more carbon than other poultry counterparts. Animal agriculture uses a lot of water and contributes to climatic change. You must also tell people about the connection between meat and climatic change.
Change Your Traveling Style
Everyone does traveling for different purposes, such as to go to the workplace, school, college, to get groceries, etc. No matter where people have to go, they use personal cars. Cars use fuels such as petroleum and burning of such fuels emits a large amount of carbon. You can reduce your carbon footprint to 0% by using bicycles and walking. In the modern era, there are barely any people that use bikes. We should introduce this trend again to save the Earth from the adverse effects of carbon. Public transportation can also contribute to reducing carbon emissions. But here we are talking about zero carbon footprint, which is only possible by using bikes or by walking.
Biking and walking are also good for your health as they increase your physical activity while driving or traveling in public transportation don’t allow this at all.
Recycle Instead of Throwing Away
There are many things that you can recycle, such as glass, paper, metal, etc. All these things are used in our daily life. We throw these things in the trash cans without thinking about what happens to them. Most of these things are incinerated, which pollutes the environment by emitting a large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Just like burning of fuels emits carbon, burning of such things emit it as well. We can easily recycle these things by putting them in the recycling bins. Many countries have curbside recycling programs. All you have to do is to put the stuff in the recycling bin.
Carbon Neutralizing
Carbon neutralizing means the amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere is no more than the carbon reduced in different ways. Reducing carbon counterbalances the carbon from the atmosphere and reduces its severe effects. Let’s find out ways of carbon neutralizing!
Planting of Trees
Trees and plants produce their food by a process called photosynthesis. The photosynthesis process requires carbon dioxide, and without it, it can’t happen. Therefore, planting of trees reduces the amount of carbon from the environment. It is a natural process of removing carbon from the environment. All you have to do is plant a tree, water it and take care of it, so it doesn’t wilt. Every year a single tree absorbs about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide. Imagine how much carbon dioxide can be absorbed from the environment if we plant a garden. Planting of trees also provide some health benefits for humans and animals as the temperature where trees are present is less than the temperature elsewhere.
BECCS
BECCS mean Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage. It is another way of using photosynthesis to reduce the amount of carbon from the atmosphere. In this process, negative carbon dioxide emission occurs by biomass due to which carbon is captured and stored in underground soil or concrete from where it can’t escape [2]. BECCS is a complicated process unlike planting trees, but due to it more amount of carbon is stored than trees can save alone. But sometimes it can fail, and it isn’t the best way to reduce carbon from the atmosphere.
Direct Capturing
There are two ways of direct capturing; seawater capturing and air capturing. In both these processes, carbon dioxide is directly captured from the air and seawater instead of capturing emissions in BECCS. But the process of direct capturing of carbon from air and seawater is much more expensive. As seawater is heavier than air, it requires heavy technology of direct capturing. We can say that it is more expensive than direct capturing of carbon from the air.
Countries That Aim for Carbon Neutrality and Zero Carbon Footprint
Some states and cities seek zero carbon footprint to make this Earth a better place to live. Such countries have a lot of different projects going on and have a specific goal for a particular year to reach. By making such goals, the state becomes motivated.
Bhutan
Bhutan is located in the Himalaya’s eastern edge and is surrounded by many forests. It is easier for Bhutan to reach a low carbon footprint or zero carbon footprint because of the number of forests it is surrounded by.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a target to reach by 2050 of zero carbon footprint. There are many projects going on in Costa Rica.
France
The government of France has made it their goal to reach zero carbon footprint by 2050.
Germany
Germany is also involved in making the Earth a zero carbon footprint.