Carbon Footprint - The beginning
We have all heard about our Carbon footprint, but what does it all really mean? A carbon footprint refers to the amount of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and other carbon compounds produced by us, and our activity. These activities include: Driving a vehicle. Using electricity from fossil fuels. Heating buildings. Manufacturing goods. And any other activity that involves burning of a fossil fuel. The three main types of fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are natural fuels formed from the remains of living organisms that existed a few million years ago. They come from the decomposition of organic matter under extreme heat and pressure deep within the Earth’s crust over those millions of years. Coal – Formed from remains of ancient plants, coal is a solid fossil fuel primarily used for electricity generation and the industrial process. Oil (petroleum) – A liquid fossil fuel formed from the remains of marine organisms. It is refined to produce various product...