carbon footprint and their effects in ecology

he carbon footprint concept is related to and grew out of the older idea of ecological footprint, a concept invented in the early 1990s by Canadian ecologist William Rees and Swiss-born regional planner Mathis Wackernagel at the University of British Columbia. An ecological footprint is the total area of land required to sustain an activity or population. It includes environmental impacts, such as water use and the amount of land used for food production. In contrast, a carbon footprint is usually expressed as a measure of weight, as in tons of CO2 or CO2 equivalent per year.

1. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons .

2. India's GHG emissions have roughly doubled since the turn of the century, with the country now emitting approximately four billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent ( GtCO₂e ) per year. During this time, India's fossil CO₂ emissions have nearly tripled, reaching a record high of 2.7 GtCO ₂ in 2022 The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons . India foot print is 1.9 t/person

3. The average carbon footprint globally closer to 4 tons. It needs to drop under 2 tons by 2050 in order to avoid chances of 2degree celsius rise in the global temperature. Th e actions by which we can help reduce the carbeon footprits are- It can be reduced throught improving energy efficiencey and changing lifestyles and purchasing habits such as – Avoiding the products with lots of packaging Adopt 4 R’s – refuse, reduce, recycle and reuse 2. Switching one’s energy and transportation use can have impact on promary carbon footprints Replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamp – CFL 3. A ton of carbon dioxide is released when we for example travel 5000 miles in an aeroplane or drive 2500 miles in a medium sized car, hence Avoid taking connecting flights Take public transport to drive a more efficient vehicles Walk or use bicycle instead of using bikes, cars etc. 4. Switching from coal to less carbon intensive energy sources 5. Planting more trees

4. Initiatives / Concepts to keep check on GHGs emission Carbon Pricing Carbon tax Carbon sequestration Paris agreement COP 21 Montreal Protocol Bharat Stage (BS) VI norms National wind-solar hybrid policy 2018 National solar mission National action plan on climate change National Mission for enhanced energy efficiency