DISADVANTAGES OF CARBON FOOTPRINT

 

Things with large carbon footprints do damage to the earth by releasing large amounts of carbon. Things with small carbon footprints do little damage. A carbon footprint is just a number, telling you how much carbon is produced in the making, producing, transporting and using of a certain thing. This thing could be a car, or a bottle of beer, or a tin of vegetables, or your house, or even you.

   For example, the carbon footprint of a tin of vegetables that was produced on the other side of the world would consider the collection, transport, cooking and canning of the crop. It would then factor in the cost of transportation half way round the world, by ship, air, truck and perhaps your own vehicle. Compare this to vegetables grown in your own garden, or at least in your own local area.

   So an item with a large carbon footprint releases more carbon into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse gases already there, and contributing to global warming, much more than an item with a small carbon footprint.