The greenhouse effect, which keeps heat in the atmosphere and keeps our planet at habitable temperatures, is caused by carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.Human activities such as the use of fossil fuels and deforestation cause global temperatures to rise and climate change to occur. This is reflected in an increase in extreme meteorological events such as droughts, desertification, floods and storms..
Many states are trying to act together by taking common decisions in order to prevent the climate crisis that started with the industrial revolution and has gotten out of control today. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are of historic importance for the global fight against climate change.
The climate crisis is a problem that can be solved by reducing the carbon footprint at every level, from individual to national, with the involvement of all citizens of the world. For this reason, the most important step to slow down global warming is to reduce our individual carbon footprint in the world.
The first step is to calculate the carbon footprint and see how much carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. MFET, which develops projects that measure and scale carbon footprint, provides this service to individuals. With its project called “Balance”, it calculates the carbon footprint according to voluntary carbon standards. The resulting data is stored on a blockchain with a very low carbon footprint to be used in scientific studies.
There are many factors that increase the carbon footprint. Therefore, the second step in reducing carbon emissions is to take action on the basis of these factors.
Transportation is one of the areas where fossil fuel consumption, which directly causes carbon emissions, is one of the most common areas of daily life. Using a hybrid vehicle instead of a fossil fuel vehicle, walking, cycling or using public transportation is a very effective way to reduce carbon footprint. Airplanes are the most carbon footprint-intensive means of transportation, depending on the distance to be travelled and the fuel to be consumed. For this reason, individuals can reduce their air travel as much as possible and prefer train journeys with less carbon emissions.
It is also possible to reduce our carbon footprint by making energy use efficient and balanced. Installing thermal insulation, using enough electronic products, i.e. buying basic necessities and unplugging unused electronic devices are some of the ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Changes in eating habits are also very important for reducing carbon emissions. A certain amount of carbon is emitted to nature during the production phase of each food consumed. For this reason, foods that cause less carbon emissions should be preferred. Consuming less meat and preferring local and organic foods reduces carbon emissions.
Recycling is one of the simplest and most effective ways. In this context, wastes such as paper, glass, packaging, bottles, etc. can be separated to create a sustainable cycle. At the same time, returning some organic wastes to the soil (compost), which can return to nature and dissolve without causing harm, reduces the carbon footprint.
One of the most prominent steps to prevent carbon emissions is “Paulownia Forests”. Paulownia is a tree species that reduces the carbon load of the atmosphere by absorbing 10 times more carbon than other trees.
MFET has created Paulownia forests on 200 acres of land in Saruhanlı district of Manisa. These forests are a powerful and effective way to reduce our carbon footprint.
Raising awareness about the climate crisis is only possible if this awareness is transformed into a form of behaviour. Rhetoric for the future of the world needs to translate into concrete actions.
