Global warming is one of the biggest threats facing our planet and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere recently hit its highest level for over 800 thousand years. The weight of individual carbon dioxide molecules is practically incomprehensible to a layman, but when it comes to the large amounts produced by nations around the globe, the weight of those emissions can be calculated in a very literal sense. Despite being a relatively small island, the UK is one of the largest producers of CO2 emissions in the world, and each year 466 million tonnes are released into the air. To put this into perspective, that’s roughly the same weight as 37 million London buses and 37 thousand Shards!
How Does This Compare to Other Countries?
The UK is not the only guilty party when it comes to their carbon footprint, other countries around the world produce carbon emissions in mind-blowing quantities. In France, the amount of carbon emissions released each day weighs the same as 46 thousand Eiffel Towers, or 1.3 trillion baguettes. In Germany, over 760 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced, approximately the same weight as 585 million Porsches. Russia releases more than 1.8 billion tonnes of emissions every day, enough to weigh 280 million Soyuz rockets or 3 billion bears. The United States is the second largest producer of CO2 in the world after China and the equivalent of 24 million Statues of Liberty are released into the atmosphere on an annual basis.
How We Can Reduce Our Carbon Footprint
As scientists, politicians and the public become more aware of the concerns surrounding CO2 emissions, there has been more of a collective effort to go green at home and in the workplace and there are a number of steps that we can take to reduce levels of carbon dioxide. Farming livestock produces large amounts of methane gas, so eating less meat or switching to a vegan diet can lower your carbon footprint by around 20 per cent. If you’re a meat eater through and through, you could store that meat in more energy energy-efficient appliances, such as A+++ fridges, as they use far less electricity than traditional models. You can also make the transition over to LED light bulbs, which not only help to reduce emissions but also save you money on utility bills. Finally, burning fossil fuels is one of the biggest causes of carbon dioxide emissions, which is why the UK government has stepped up plans to incentivise people to buy electric cars.
By following these simple steps you can help reduce the carbon emissions in your own country. Like the weight of a CO2 atom, the individual contribution won’t feel like it’s making much difference, but if we all pull together then the difference could be a global game-changer.
