Introduction
Carbon has the special trait of being able to bond with almost any other molecules and form the organic molecules essential for life as we know it to exist. Since carbon is an element and cannot be created carbon atoms are endlessly reused in a process known as the carbon cycle ("Material Cycles: Nutrient, Carbon, Nitrogen and Sulfur Cycle", 2014). This is a natural process but human action threatens the delicate balance of the carbon cycle by increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and causing problems like causing global temperatures to rise. Australia is one of the worst offenders.
Australia makes up less than 1% of the world 's population yet in 2011 was ranked as the 17th largest emitter of CO2 in total. The situation …show more content…
Almost 5 metric tonnes of my total carbon emissions can be attributed to my current diet and while I need to eat, so I cannot reduce this to number to zero, there are certainly actions that can be taken to shrink this figure lower. One of those actions is to give up meat adhere to a vegetarian diet, or at the very least, drastically reduce the amount of meat, particularly red meat, I consume. There are several recent studies that indicate eating less meat helps reduce global CO2 emissions, with one expert quoted in the Guardian as saying "The biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less red meat," ((Hamerschlag, 2011; Eshel, Shepon, Makov, & Milo, 2014; Carrington, …show more content…
For example, if I gave up driving my car to work I would save money on fuel, I would be getting my daily amount of recommended exercise, and by riding a bicycle instead of walking or catching public transport I would only need to find an extra seven minutes each way and so would not be sacrificing too much time with my family. Although I may pay extra by changing my household to use renewable energy I suspect the difference would be more than offset by the money I save on fuel. Further saving to my electrical bill could be achieved by replacing old out dated lights with new energy efficient bulbs. Finally, I would not necessarily be paying more If I shopped smarter by changing my diet to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and less processed food and red meat, this would be a would be a healthier choice as some studies show ("Becoming a vegetarian - Harvard Health", 2016). If I make these changes it will be a win for myself and family as well as the
Carbon has the special trait of being able to bond with almost any other molecules and form the organic molecules essential for life as we know it to exist. Since carbon is an element and cannot be created carbon atoms are endlessly reused in a process known as the carbon cycle ("Material Cycles: Nutrient, Carbon, Nitrogen and Sulfur Cycle", 2014). This is a natural process but human action threatens the delicate balance of the carbon cycle by increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and causing problems like causing global temperatures to rise. Australia is one of the worst offenders.
Australia makes up less than 1% of the world 's population yet in 2011 was ranked as the 17th largest emitter of CO2 in total. The situation …show more content…
Almost 5 metric tonnes of my total carbon emissions can be attributed to my current diet and while I need to eat, so I cannot reduce this to number to zero, there are certainly actions that can be taken to shrink this figure lower. One of those actions is to give up meat adhere to a vegetarian diet, or at the very least, drastically reduce the amount of meat, particularly red meat, I consume. There are several recent studies that indicate eating less meat helps reduce global CO2 emissions, with one expert quoted in the Guardian as saying "The biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less red meat," ((Hamerschlag, 2011; Eshel, Shepon, Makov, & Milo, 2014; Carrington, …show more content…
For example, if I gave up driving my car to work I would save money on fuel, I would be getting my daily amount of recommended exercise, and by riding a bicycle instead of walking or catching public transport I would only need to find an extra seven minutes each way and so would not be sacrificing too much time with my family. Although I may pay extra by changing my household to use renewable energy I suspect the difference would be more than offset by the money I save on fuel. Further saving to my electrical bill could be achieved by replacing old out dated lights with new energy efficient bulbs. Finally, I would not necessarily be paying more If I shopped smarter by changing my diet to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and less processed food and red meat, this would be a would be a healthier choice as some studies show ("Becoming a vegetarian - Harvard Health", 2016). If I make these changes it will be a win for myself and family as well as the