Climate change at global capacity is a fact and scientific studies conducted to determine the causes have all implicated greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide, for causing the same. The emergence of industrial-based economies in most parts of the world is central to the problems highlighted thus far. In Collapse Informatics and Practice, Tomlinson et al. provide a summation of the situation by stating that “the world is very likely to reach a tipping point by 2040 [because of] global warming/climate change” unless carbon emissions drop (3). Thus, as commercial enterprises continue to expand, the world is fast approaching its “end” if one is to go by the claims Tomlinson et al. make in the text. Now, companies are under intense pressure to fix their production strategies and turn towards environment-friendly methods that may help curb the impending crisis. Still, while environmental organizations focus on industries as the main culprits, households receive little to no attention, yet they are also part of the problem. A perfect illustration of the given claim is available in the report dubbed Quantifying Carbon Footprint Reduction Opportunities for U.S. Households and Communities by Christopher Jones and Daniel Kammen. In the researchers’ views, individuals do not have to own or work with a company for them to be a problem; on the contrary, most of the things done within the core unit of the society have the ability to cause as much damage. This paper argues that Information Technology can help lower carbon-dioxide emissions at the household level.
Foremost, it is important to mention that debates over climate changes have shifted from talks on whether or not it is happening to plans on how the State, organizations, communities, and individuals can curb the harmful emissions. As hinted above, companies are already taking necessary steps to ensure they play their roles in reducing carbon dioxide release, and it is all due to outside pressure. From legal teams to activists, the nations’ attention has been on not only informing but also monitoring the commercial industries for any foul play. Accordingly, as Carbon Footprint by Divya Pandey, Madhoolika Agrawal, and Jai Pandey tell readers, a “national [and] international climate agreement will put direct pressure on businesses [and have them] cut their carbon, owing to their biggest share and capability" (22). However, none of that attention is on energy usage among the private lives of the same men and women who drive, cook, and fly courtesy of carbon dioxide emitting vehicles, cooking stoves, and airplanes. In other words, to ensure consistency in curbing the production of the gas in focus, there is a need to sensitize people at the personal level as opposed to targeting the employer to reach the employee (Wiedmann 174). Otherwise, just as Robert Kates reckons in the report Readings in Sustainability Science and Technology, “[a] shift to the less harmful but most needed energy” would be impossible (5).
At this point, it is important to define certain terms that will aid in the understanding of the claims made in this paper about global warming and the role of carbon dioxide in the same (Introduction to Sustainability 6mins). First, a global warming potential refers to the “radioactive force impact, or degree of harm to the atmosphere, of one unit of a given [green house gas] relative to one unit of carbon dioxide" (Department for Environment 67). Subsequently, the “relative” component is subject to the Carbon dioxide equivalent which is a “universal unit of measurement used to indicate the global warming potential of a greenhouse gas” (Department for Environment 66). Hence, when monitoring methods, such as the Climate Change Habitability Index (CCHI) seek to present carbon footprint savings, they do so based on “metric tons of Carbon dioxide equivalent per [a particular period]” (Tomlinson et al. 19). The tactic allows one to determine the global warming potential of his or her actions in all spheres: at home, work, and even when shopping (Jones and Kammen 27; Tomlinson et al. 19). By that logic, monitoring devices that factor in both measurements can play a significant role in curbing green house gas emissions.
So why is carbon footprint significant? So far, it is evident that the overall concern on greenhouse gasses revolves around not only organizations but also any tasks and events that involve production. Anything that increases the level of carbon dioxide, as the main by-product in production processes, directly propels climate change to new heights and elicits global warming. Concurrently, as carbon footprints continue to increase, climate change is also on the rise with “local temperatures and weather patterns” becoming inconsistent (Jones and Kammen 11). Such factors directly affect the environment negatively and by extension, have detrimental consequences as far as human health is concerned. Just to mention a few, global warming hinders food production and pollutes the air to such an extent that there are reports of disease and food redistribution courtesy of the fluctuating and increasing temperatures and water levels. In concurrence, the article Integrating Ecological, Carbon, and Water Footprint by Galli et al. affirm that “Footprint Indicators are essential in developing future policies meant to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (46). For instance, malaria as vector-borne disease increase in prevalence as climate change leads to high temperatures. Hence, the Millennium Development Goals six and seven that seek to “combat HIV/AIDS, and Malaria and other diseases” and “ensure environmental sustainability” respectively become unattainable (Galli et al. 46). The given facts are merely examples among many more instances in which greenhouse gasses can affect the environment and the health of individuals; the effects of Carbon Footprint remain vast.
Now that the role of the individuals in controlling carbon dioxide emissions and the importance of such efforts are in mind, the next step entails the consideration of possible methods that men and women can use to monitor their carbon footprint in their lives. The suggested techniques stem from Information technology simply because in present day societies machines are at the center of communication channels between individuals (Introduction to Information Technology 5mins). Similarly, it is an assumption that a technology-based monitor would be an ideal way of tracking one’s carbon footprint on a daily basis. Technological approaches are ideal for two main reasons. On one hand, in How I.T Can Cut Carbon Emissions, the writers Boccaletti, Löffler, and Oppenheim argue that technology may as well be a big contributor to global warming because of modern day dependence on machines and computers. According to the authors, “laptops and PCs, data centers and computing networks, mobile phones, and telecommunications networks” stand the chance to be the principal greenhouse gas emitters by the year 2020 and for that reason, they are vital to carbon footprint (Boccaletti, Löffler, and Oppenheim 1).
On the other, developers such as those of the Sustainability and Communication department at Noveda Technologies have a different idea on how technology can aid in carbon footprint efforts. Apparently, the company already has developed a Carbon Footprint Monitor that “displays [the] real-time impact of [a person’s] facility on the environment” (Noveda Technologies). In that sense, and as opposed to Boccaletti, Löffler, and Oppenheim, the Noveda Technologies Incorporation does see technology as the problem. Rather, the latter faction uses computer-based tactics to promote one’s ability to not only track but also know which actions he or she would increase to benefit the environment and what he or she ought to eliminate or reduce in his or her daily activities. An image of the application is available below:
Nevada Technologies: Carbon Footprint Monitor
In what the company refers to as an “intuitive, user-friendly screen,’ the application depicted above can display a “building’s carbon footprint” and at the same time show the avoided levels of “greenhouse gasses and carbon dioxide emissions” (Nevada Technologies). Subsequently, the application also manages to capture the geographical makeup of a given location and suggest the number of new trees that one has to plant if he or she wishes “to sequester the carbon dioxide emissions” from a given facility. In another segment published online, Best Apps for Monitoring and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, the administrators of
“Before its news” provides a list of more applications that can highlight the levels of carbon emissions at personal levels. Such technological devices are ideal for the household and would help eliminate the many carbon-emitting avenues that people often overlook in their daily lives.
The essence of using technology in handling carbon footprint revolves around the fact most homes have become “smart.” In other words, technology is no longer restricted within the walls of the office as more people embrace the use of machines and networks. A proposal dubbed Monitoring the Carbon Footprint of Products by Scipioni, Manzardo, Mazzi, and Mastrobuono insist that the “measuring and calculating [of] the carbon footprint and [the] environmental impacts of products” is essential in the determination of how best to save the environment (94). On a similar note, it would be irrational to assume that people will remember, or even want, to record everything they do and calculate carbon emissions per second, minute, hour, or even day. As mentioned above, the determination of the level of greenhouse gasses emissions requires one first to identify the quantity of the Carbon dioxide equivalent before proceeding with calculating the global warming potential of an action or a product (Department for Environment 66-67). If the government or environmental activists expect so much dedication from the masses then all efforts are bound to fail; however, if there are devices that could aid families and individuals in making sound choices about carbon emissions then they could be effective. In what appears to be an echo of the given sentiments, the arguments in Achieving Voluntary Reductions in the Carbon Footprint of Tourism and Climate Change suggest that most people fail to fathom the dangers of greenhouse gasses. In the authors’ perceptions, aside from there being “a significant gap between awareness and action,” it is worth noting that even when individuals gain the necessary information they are “unlikely to change” (McKerchera, Prideaux, Cheung and Law 297). It is as though the dissemination of information would have little to no effect.
In summation, global warming is a reality, and the world needs a concrete plan on how best to curb the emission of carbon dioxide. Yes, industries are cleaning up their act (at least those belonging to law-abiding citizens are) and employers are keen in ensuring their companies fall within the criteria stipulated by their governments. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the Climate Change Act of 2008 is a “legally binding framework [that tackles] the dangers of climate change and is the outcome of the Climate Change Bill of 2007 (Department of Environment 66). Concurrently, factories in the United Kingdom adhere to the laws of production stipulated in the mentioned document to ensure carbon emissions remain below dangerous levels. Such laws do not exist to deal with households.
In conclusion, while governments fail to recognize the potential greenhouse gasses reduction methods available at the personal level of every citizen, with emphasis on their homes, it would not be too farfetched to avail a carbon monitor device to the communities. Now, while this is in no way a commercial for a particular application, it certainly is a highlight on the many benefits that technology has bestowed upon modern day nations. A consensus is necessary between the federal government and the people but the faster they reach the said agreement, the better for the entire world. Global warming is not a tale of the worst nightmare storybook one can find. On the contrary, it is a legit threat to humanity and every other living creature. The effects are only too subtle to recognize unless one is a scientist working on the same. It is no wonder that environmental organizations are solely responsible for raising awareness.
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Works Cited
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