How Bad Are Bananas? summary

Over the past few decades, computers, mobile devices and cell phones have changed the way we work and communicate. But you may not be aware of the ways you can use this technology more responsibly.

For example, texting someone instead of making a cell-phone call leaves a smaller footprint since it takes up less energy.

Most of us would probably guess that paper is better for the environment than plastic, but from the carbon dioxide equivalent standpoint, plastic actually beats paper.

That doesn’t mean plastic is good for the environment. On the contrary, plastic debris can linger in the environment for centuries and harm animals in the process. But as far as CO₂e emissions go, plastic is marginally better since it doesn’t rot and create methane emissions like paper does.

It probably won’t come as a surprise to know that the gasoline and diesel fueling our cars and trucks leave a big carbon footprint. To produce just one liter adds around 3.15 kilograms CO₂e to a carbon footprint. And in one year, the United Kingdom alone uses around 50 billion liters of gasoline, so its impact on our global footprint is considerable, to say the least.

But if we look at all the different ways to get around, you might be surprised at which method leaves the biggest footprint.

You may have heard that a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for the environment, but, in truth, what you eat is less important than where it comes from.

Local fruit will have a small footprint, but if you’re eating fruit that traveled halfway around the world to get to your supermarket, that fruit comes with a big one.

When it comes to thinking about your carbon footprint, you might not give too much thought to your beverage selection. But there’s a considerable difference between some of the options you have, whether it’s the kind of water you drink or whether you order a black coffee or a latte.

For starters, you should be aware that bottled water leaves a much bigger footprint than tap water.

When you leave your home, do you ever wonder: Did I turn the oven off? Or, did I leave the iron on? It makes sense to worry about potential fire hazards, but it also makes sense to question whether you’re needlessly wasting energy. So next time, before you leave, make sure you’ve turned the lights off along with all your other appliances.

You can also reduce your footprint by washing your clothes more efficiently.

There are some folks who believe that the environmental damage caused by humans has been exaggerated, and that the harm we’ve done doesn’t hold a candle to what Mother Nature can do to herself.

One such example in this erroneous line of thinking is volcanoes, which are known to emit greenhouse gases even when they’re not erupting.

So, if you’d really like to start a 10-tonne lifestyle, one of the best ways to start is to look at your diet. Since it accounts for 20 percent of your own footprint, being more considerate about what you eat is the perfect place to start.

The first thing to do is eat less meat and dairy.