The world is hurtling towards a climate catastrophe, one that might just end up making it impossible for human beings to continue to survive let alone thrive on the only planet that we have ever been able to call home. A big part of that is reducing carbon emissions because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up reducing the gradual heating of the planet, and each person is responsible for that in a way.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a big part of preventing a climate crisis at any point in the future is to make it so that each person’s annual carbon emissions are brought down to 2.1 tons of CO2. Currently, the global average annual carbon emissions are 4.8 tons per person, and that might make you think that reducing it to 2.1 by 2050 is not going to be all that difficult.
However, many of the wealthiest countries in the world have much higher per capita emissions with all things having been considered and taken into account. For example, each person in the US is responsible for a staggering 16.6 tons of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere each and every year. Hence, the wealthiest countries that are currently out there should definitely be the ones leading the charge, because they are the entities that are contributing the most to the damage that is currently being caused to the global environment.
If you want to start reducing your carbon emissions, there are a few things that you can end up doing, as visualized by InformationIsBeautiful in an infographic. One thing that you can do is that you can stop using your cars that emit too much Carbon Dioxide, or at least reduce their excessive use and alternative shift to electric technology. That would reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 2.4 tons per year. Instead of a car, you opt to walk, ride a bicycle or take a bus instead, all of which are far more efficient ways of getting around and can help reduce the impact that you are having on the earth.
Some people might not want to stop using a car, but simply switching to a more efficient car or an electric can do a lot as well. Either of those options can reduce CO2 emissions by 1.2 tons per year which is a lot better than nothing.
Also, skipping plane travel can be a huge benefit too. Each plane ride that you skip will save 1.6 tons of CO2 every year. Another somewhat controversial suggestion would be to stop eating meat which can make each person contribute 0.8 fewer tons of carbon to the atmosphere on a yearly basis.
Read next: Facebook's survey reveals shocking results on people’s knowledge about climate change throughout the globe
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a big part of preventing a climate crisis at any point in the future is to make it so that each person’s annual carbon emissions are brought down to 2.1 tons of CO2. Currently, the global average annual carbon emissions are 4.8 tons per person, and that might make you think that reducing it to 2.1 by 2050 is not going to be all that difficult.
However, many of the wealthiest countries in the world have much higher per capita emissions with all things having been considered and taken into account. For example, each person in the US is responsible for a staggering 16.6 tons of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere each and every year. Hence, the wealthiest countries that are currently out there should definitely be the ones leading the charge, because they are the entities that are contributing the most to the damage that is currently being caused to the global environment.
If you want to start reducing your carbon emissions, there are a few things that you can end up doing, as visualized by InformationIsBeautiful in an infographic. One thing that you can do is that you can stop using your cars that emit too much Carbon Dioxide, or at least reduce their excessive use and alternative shift to electric technology. That would reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 2.4 tons per year. Instead of a car, you opt to walk, ride a bicycle or take a bus instead, all of which are far more efficient ways of getting around and can help reduce the impact that you are having on the earth.
Some people might not want to stop using a car, but simply switching to a more efficient car or an electric can do a lot as well. Either of those options can reduce CO2 emissions by 1.2 tons per year which is a lot better than nothing.
Also, skipping plane travel can be a huge benefit too. Each plane ride that you skip will save 1.6 tons of CO2 every year. Another somewhat controversial suggestion would be to stop eating meat which can make each person contribute 0.8 fewer tons of carbon to the atmosphere on a yearly basis.
Read next: Facebook's survey reveals shocking results on people’s knowledge about climate change throughout the globe