The Online Reflector

By Mandy Weber
Staff Writer

In recent months, the future of our environment has landed squarely in the political arena and on the Congress floor. Terms that were largely under the radar, such as global warming and carbon footprint, are now gaining widespread attention.

According to carbonfootprint.com, a carbon footprint is a “measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.” Greenhouse gases are those gases such as carbon dioxide, ozone or water vapor that add to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas causing global warming.

According to www.carbonfootprint.com, rising global temperatures will cause sea level to rise and alter local climate conditions, affecting forests, crop yields and water supplies. It may also affect human health, animals and many types of ecosystems. Deserts may expand and some of our countryside may be permanently altered.

Greenhouse gases are essential to the Earth. Without greenhouse gases, the Earth would be too cold to inhabit. However, too many greenhouse gases can raise the temperature of the Earth to lethal levels.

A carbon footprint shows us our personal impact on global warming through the activities we perform and the amount of carbon dioxide these behaviors and activities produce.

People can make minor changes in their daily activities that will altogether help improve the health of planet Earth and reduce their carbon footprints.

“I bought a Prius-hybrid vehicle and started using compact fluorescents throughout my house,” explained Dr. Tim Duman, chair and associate professor of physics and earth space sciences.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs last 6 to 7 years whereas regular light bulbs last a matter of months. Compact fluorescent light bulbs produce the same amount of light as regular light bulbs, but use less power in doing so.

According to abcnews.com, “If every household in America replaced just three bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, we would all save $60 a year and collectively keep a trillion pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere.”

Dr. Douglas Stemke, professor of biology, explained the measures he takes to reduce his carbon dioxide emissions.

“I use energy saving light bulbs, drive a Saturn instead of an SUV and have my own garden,” Stemke said. “I recycle banana grimes and apple cores, add water and use the mixture as a cheap soil.”

Recycling is easy, cheap and beneficial for the environment. For students at UIndy, recycling is simple both on and off campus.

Those who live on campus can buy two trashcans for their dorm room; one can be used for recycling products such as glass, cans and plastic bottles, the other can be used for regular trash.

Aproximately 4,300 students attend UIndy. If each student took part in recycling, the difference in our waste management could be tremendous.

Many speculate about the measures the government could take to reduce America’s carbon footprint.

“Maybe the government could raise taxes on SUVs or require a solar power on roofs,” Duman suggests.

According to whitehouse.gov, “roughly 30 percent of our nation’s electricity supply is now generated by nuclear, hydropower and renewable sources, all of which have few air emissions.

Today, U.S. wind energy installations produce enough electricity on a typical day to power the equivalent of over 2.5 million homes.

The development of wind power is becoming an alternative to America’s energy supply.

According to a new Department of Energy report, wind power could provide 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs by 2030.

Statistics compiled by the United Nations explicated on average, every American is responsible for about 22 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to ABC News, . That is far above the world average of six tons per capita. Americans may need to consider fighting this growing problem.

“I think we should start to change automobile efficiency ratings. The government should make this a standard. They shouldn’t recommend big hummers and SUV’s,” Stemke said.

According to Reader’s Digest, researchers analyzed and organized data from air and water quality, industrial pollution, hazardous waste and sanitation.

Indianapolis was ranked the 17th dirtiest city in the United States. United, Indianapolis can work to change this – one person cannot do it alone.

For more information about how to calculate your carbon footprint, www.carbonfootprint.com provides an online calculator to determine individual impact on the environment.

According to carbonfootprint.com,the calculations for the primary emissions are based on a combination of metrics from the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the U.K.’s Department for Transport and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The calculations for the secondary emissions are based on estimates developed by Carbon Footprint to illustrate the impact on the environment from your day-to-day activities. The total carbon footprint of an individual is the sum of their primary and secondary emissions.

Duman explained his final insight on saving the Earth.

“I think reducing the carbon footprint should be prevalent in everyone’s minds. As far as I know, this is the only planet we can survive on.”