When you first here "carbon footprint" you may think it sounds pretty complicated. Let's first break down the term to better understand it. Carbon is an element found in our environment and is contained within all known life forms. A footprint is something that is left behind, proof that someone was there at one point in time. Our carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide we produce and release to our environment throughout our life times. This special footprint is something that remains long after we are gone.

Even though carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming, carbon is not inherently bad. Without it, there would be no life. All known life forms, plant and animal, are carbon based. The problem is we, as humans, are producing more carbon than our Earth can handle. The Earth can no longer keep up with these increasing amounts of carbon and its build up is causing unwanted effects. As the Earth's population continues to grow, more and more carbon will be released.

To get a better idea of where our carbon footprint comes from, let's go through a normal morning routine. You wake in the morning, turn off the alarm, and turn on the light. Next you shower and get ready for your day with all your typical hygiene products. Then you cook breakfast and drive to work or school. It's not even noon yet and you have already added substantially to your carbon footprint.

It takes electricity to run your alarm clock, lights, and stove. Much of this electricity comes from the burning of fossil fuels. You also need electricity to heat up water for your showers. Now think about all the products you use to get ready in the morning: tooth paste, make up, soap, etc. How did these get to your door and how do you get to work? Fossil fuels. All of this carbon dioxide producing activity really adds up after a while. The average person emits about 20,750 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Now multiply that by the average life time of 76 years and you come up with over a million and a half pounds of the gas emitted per life time.

Every item you have in your home was brought to you with the help of fossil fuels. It takes electricity to make and package the products. The products are then shipped in fuel burning vehicles. You then use your fuel burning vehicle to bring them back home.

Anything you use that involves fossil fuels adds to your carbon footprint so take a minute a think about your daily routines. Think about what fuel burning activities you can cut back on. Think about how you can stretch the life of products you already have so you can consume less. The less you consume, the smaller amounts of products need to be shipped to stores. Lowering your consumption rate will help you save money and lower your impact on the environment.