Whenever people talk of the greenhouse gas effect, they always visualise images of heavy industries, with giant chimneys churning out grey tones of smoke into the atmosphere. They also have images of vast tracts of forests being destroyed by commercial logging or other related human activities. This also includes vast burning bushes and forests or companies discharging industrial chemicals into streams, rivers and other water bodies. But it is more than that, as individuals also have to watch their daily routines and life-styles.
On a personal level, people should watch and regulate their carbon footprints. This is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting directly or indirectly from people’s lifestyles. The manner in which individuals use energy at personal level is critical and worth analysing because it is these small actions or behaviours which can result in negative contributions to global warming. All the human actions combined can result in carbon footprints and these are environmentally unsustainable.
Energy efficiency at home, at work and on the road or even on the farms need to be regulated. Of course, human beings cannot always be seen to be holding calculators in order to calculate the amount of carbon which they contribute, but checking on individuals life-styles would make an impact in our everyday sustainable living transactions. This should always start at personal level and in the home too. Energy and water regulating companies and organisations always place adverts in the Press, radios or televisions and on posters and billboards too, urging people to save energy or water.
Everyday we witness these events, although at personal level they appear insignificant, we sometimes think they don’t matter. Because of human nature, our ignorance of these factors has accelerated the change of the complexion of the atmosphere and the landscapes. A journey of a thousand miles, starts with the small footsteps, so say the Chinese.
Of course, there is more energy resulting from the manufacturing of certain products than others. Each season has its own climate-related deficiencies as there are a number of greenhouse gases associated with the advent of every season, at home or at work. When it is cold, people use lots of heating appliances like heaters or air-conditioners. People also make use of substances and materials like coal, charcoal or gas in order to increase warmth. When the temperatures are high and it’s hot, heaters are made to disappear as people turn on air-conditions or electric fans to cool themselves. Even on the road, when driving, they may switch on fans in their vehicles in order to cool themselves. At their workplaces, most companies leave their computers on stand-by or they are switched on even when they are not in use. It doesn’t mean when the computer is on stand-by or is on, but not in use, there will be no energy consumption or emission of related e-gases.
Activities such as farming in the fields especially consume more energy, but people don’t seem to notice it.
Travelling by road, air, rail or water also uses lots of energy, resulting in more consumption and smoke production. Human beings, by nature, have never stopped travelling and there are related costs associated with that. There are both monetary and emission costs. While monetary costs are always inherently felt, emission costs are at times not realised immediately.
The African continent, because of its low manufacturing and emission base, uses less energy as compared to developed countries which are both manufacturing and carbon emissions intensive. But it doesn’t mean because Africa produces less carbon emissions, then it is safe. The emissions produced in developed countries do not only harm the world, but also spread to Africa. Africa, therefore, is not spared, but is deeply in the emission-mix.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
In developing countries, more carbon emissions are realised through manufacturing and the construction industries, while personal travel accounts for more carbon footprints. There is a lot of travelling in developed countries because they have efficient transport systems, energy and road networks. In developing countries, we like travelling, but the road infrastructure and transport systems are bad. People from developing countries always want to travel to developed countries to buy goods and services, on business or to conferences. Our leaders also like travelling a lot and should always carry carbon calculators in order to realise their carbon footprints. In this regard, there are more emissions in the skies than on the ground. The housing sector also consumes lots of energy and produces another significant chunk of carbon emissions through cooking, heating and lighting.
In developed countries, especially, they have what they call carbon off-setting schemes, designed to calculate related emissions, which normally translate into a fee which the off-setting organisation uses to soak-up a matching amount of carbon from the air. Whatever that means and however effective that might be, only God knows.
Money accrued from off-setting caborn schemes is normally used to fund reforestation and other adaptation practices in developing countries. This money may be given names such as green finance or green bonds, whatever they may deem necessary. But the reality is, once the greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere, whether we use carbon calculators, the emitted gases will never be removed.
There are also issues to do with eco-labelling products which normally assist consumers in buying green. This normally works more in developed countries where such education, awareness and literacy is realised than in developing countries where the food and product choices are limited. In Africa, although we import some of these labelled products, not many people care much or read into this because what matters most is the availability of the food product on the market, more than compliant issues.
The other issue is about growing environmentally friendly food-stuffs and the food that has been transported for short distances is deemed as the best quality food for consumers and the climate. That is why, in this regard, organic food is recommended more than inorganic food. Organic foodstuffs are of low carbon emissions as compared to inorganic foodstuffs because the costs and methods of producing them are not environmentally friendly.
Peter Makwanya is a climate change communicator. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted on: [email protected]
