How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in 2017

Did you know that the average American produces about 12 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year? That is the same amount of carbon dioxide that a poor household produces in eight months. A study by the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, conducted by Lutz Sager, reveals that a household's carbon footprint is the cost of its consumption, including energy, goods, and services. Here are the costs associated with your average American household's carbon footprint in 2017.

The meat industry contributes nearly 30% of the GHGEs that the average American household generates each week. In addition to the meat industry's contribution to our carbon footprint, the meat industry also uses artificial insemination to save money and ensure certain behaviors in calves. To understand how much of a difference your food choices make in your overall carbon footprint, consider the following tips:

The main elements of your carbon footprint can vary, depending on your income level and lifestyle. Poor Americans typically live in bigger homes and have access to goods and luxuries that the wealthy do not. However, there is no reason to conclude that a wealthy American's carbon footprint is higher than that of a poor person's. The high consumption levels of the average American are a matter of access to goods and services, not of quality of life.

Regardless of your lifestyle, there is no question that your daily activities have a significant impact on the planet. The average American carbon footprint is steadily increasing year after year, largely due to the growth of consumerism, meat consumption, and the population. Using carbon footprint calculators and other tools can help you measure your personal contribution to global warming. You may be surprised to discover that you are actually contributing to a larger problem than you may realize.

Despite a decline in the size of the U.S. carbon footprint, vehicle usage increased after the Great Recession. In 2017, the U.S. had an overall decrease of 1.2% in energy-related CO 2 emissions, largely due to a switch from coal to natural gas and renewables. While the switch to natural gas has been a welcome development, rising natural gas prices have slowed this trend. In addition, the decline in commercial building activity reflects a trend towards working from home.

China ranked high on the list of countries with the highest cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide. The average carbon footprint of China is concerningly high, and its air is becoming more polluted, and the use of fossil fuels has been increasing. In comparison, only Japan had a carbon footprint below a gigaton per year, while the rest of the world surpassed that of the U.S. in the average per capita emissions.

The US has not hit its goal of reducing CO2 emissions in carbon credit companies next decade. To meet the goal set in the Paris Agreement, the US will need to decrease emissions by at least 1.7 percent annually. It has been a long-term, steady decline in energy-related CO2 emissions, but the US needs to do better than that to meet its goals. It will take more than a decade to reach the reduction target, but it can start today by adopting new policies.

While reducing emissions is essential, we must also make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere. As greenhouse gases, CO2 contributes to global warming. Carbon footprint is generally measured in units of CO2 and metric tons, and is expressed as a percentage of total emissions. These are only estimates and do not include the carbon footprint of vehicles or other related infrastructure. The full list can be found