Reduce your carbon footprint, boost your health

Fri, 15 May 2009 03:45:00 UT

And so summer also brings a perfect opportunity to revisit the World Health Organisation’s suggestions on ways to reduce your carbon footprint that can, as no kind deed goes unrewarded, also directly benefit your health—and your figure.

What exactly is a carbon footprint?

It’s a measure of the impact our daily activities have on the environment, particularly on climate change. It gives an indication of the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, manufacturing of food and clothes, driving a car, using public transport etc. The units are tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent and it is usually calculated over a year.

Let’s look at two easily actionable areas that are particularly relevant to those of us living in developed countries where we have choices in abundance—transportation and the food we eat—and consider some simple changes we can make which could improve our environment and our health at the same time.

PUTTING YOUR FOOTPRINT IN MOTION

Public and private transport make up about 13 percent of a typical person’s carbon footprint in the developed world—holiday flights contribute 6 percent, car manufacture and delivery 7 percent. To leave a lighter footprint you might consider…

Green Action
Use your own two feet: Break the habit of relying on motorized transport and walk or cycle for short journeys to school, work or the shops.

Health Benefit
The benefits of regular physical activity can’t be overstated. It’s a fact that it can reduce our risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. It also helps to control our weight and prevent obesity.

Green Action
Find alternative transport—and don’t speed! For longer trips, use public transport whenever possible. If driving is the only realistic option, try to share a lift with a friend or colleague—and slow down. Speeding uses more fuel and emits more CO2.

Health Benefit
Fewer cars on the road and less speeding means less air pollution, which can have an impact on reducing respiratory diseases such as asthma. Reducing your speed also reduces the risk of road traffic accidents and could prevent the stress related to receiving a speeding fine from one of Switzerland’s many speed cameras!

Green Action
Consider eco-alternatives for your summer holiday: Flying is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the world. If you are going to fly, you may want to consider “offsetting” these emissions in some way.

Health Benefit
In addition to the respiratory benefits of reducing CO2 emissions by cutting back on air travel, you can double-up on your health gains by substituting a holiday based on physical activity not far from home. How about a walking holiday in the Swiss mountains this summer? Swiss Tourism lists over 200 options for exploring the country on foot at myswitzerland.com—not to mention cycling, water and adventure sports.

YOUR FOOTPRINT IS WHAT YOU EAT

On a global scale, food production is high up there in terms of contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Action
Eat plenty of local fresh fruits and vegetables—or better yet, get out in the garden and grow them yourself! The number of miles some food travels across the world is enormous.

Health Benefit
Eating a healthy, balanced diet including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduces our risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and certain cancers. In fact, it is thought that increasing our fruit and vegetable intake is the second most important cancer preventing strategy after stopping smoking. Getting out in the garden and growing your own fruit and vegetables not only means that you are eating fresh, locally grown produce but also has the advantage of increasing your physical activity levels at the same time. It also helps you to ensure that your fruit and vegetables truly are organic.

Green Action
Limit red meat consumption: Animals bred for food throughout the world produce a lot of methane (one of the greenhouse gases)—accounting for as much as 15 percent of methane emissions globally.

Health Benefit
It is thought that too much red meat can be bad for our health and can increase our risk of certain cancers (particularly colon cancer). A report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that we should be eating no more than 300 grams of cooked red meat per week (which equates to 400-450 grams raw). We should also be avoiding processed meats.

Green Action
Recycle your organic waste: When organic waste is sent to a landfill, air cannot get to it and as a result, methane gas is released. Methane released by decomposing biodegradable waste in landfills contributes to around 3 percent of European greenhouse gas emissions. But, when this same waste is composted above ground at home, oxygen helps the waste to decompose aerobically, which means no methane is produced. Try to waste as little food as possible—and compost what you must throw out. You can do this yourself in your garden, or most towns in Switzerland provide organic waste recycling. Check for details in your area, or just watch to see what day your neighbours put their green compost bags and bins out on the pavement.

Health Benefit
If you have a garden and are composting yourself, you can use your compost to help grow your fruit and vegetables to get the health benefits mentioned above. The compost is also good news for your plants and flowers, encouraging you and your children to get outside, get some exercise, and enjoy the summer in your garden.

Topics: environment

World Radio Switzerland

Reduce your carbon footprint, boost your health