This short article provides a carbon footprint update related to some decisions that we’ve made over the past few years in support of the environment. Whether each of us has any concerns about the environment on an individual basis, is a matter of personal choice. This article is simply an informational update for those readers that are interested in this topic.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
As regular readers will know, last year we decided to upgrade our old natural gas furnace and dated air conditioner to an inverter heat pump system.
We chose to have a matched natural gas furnace as our back up heat source to help deal with very cold weather. This integrated system operates seamlessly as the two major components are in constant communication and automatically adjusts based on temperature and heating demands.
We have now been through a complete heating season so we can examine the impact of our heating/cooling system change on our carbon footprint. Overall, our natural gas consumption to heat our home decreased by over 80%.
This, combined with some other changes we made, resulted in us reducing our carbon footprint for our home by approximately 2,820 Kgs or about 6,200 pounds in the first year with our inverter heat pump. Our local grid power is provided through hydroelectric generation.
Our plug-in hybrid automobile continues to perform very well on the environmental front. During 4.5 years of operation we have driven over 70,000 Kms (~43,400 miles). During this entire ownership period we have averaged 2.0 litres/100 Kms (~118 miles per US gallon, 141 miles per Imperial gallon) in terms of fuel economy.
This is a significant reduction in gasoline consumption compared to the old vehicle that it replaced. Since one litre of gasoline produces 2.3 Kg (~5.5 lbs.) of CO2 when burned, we estimate that our plug-in hybrid has reduced our carbon footprint by about 12,880 Kg (~28,336 lbs.) over the past 4.5 years. Or, an average of 2,862 Kgs (~6,300 lbs.) per year.
Earlier in 2024 my wife and I transitioned to a whole food, plant based diet (WFPB). While avoiding processed foods, and eliminating meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy from our diet was done for health and longevity objectives, it also helped further reduce our carbon footprint. We estimate this at about 1925 Kgs (~4,235 lbs.) per year.
Having children… and now grandchildren… has provided us with the motivation to try to reduce our negative environmental impact on the world we are leaving behind to the next generations.
In summary, based on decisions we’ve made in the past we’ve reduced our carbon footprint by about 8,030 Kgs (~17,700 lbs.) over the past 12 months.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld with the camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,393 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
How you can keep this website advertising free
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal (see Donate box below). Both are most appreciated.
Sometimes all we need as photographers is a bit of inspiration. We hope you can find some of that inside Finding Visual Expression II.
Finding Visual Expression II is available for download for an investment of $11.99 CDN. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
You may be interested in all of the 30 concepts covered in both of these related eBooks. If so, you may want to also consider Finding Visual Expression.
Finding Visual Expression is available for download for an investment of $11.99 Cdn. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Our other eBooks include Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Nikon 1: The Little Camera That Could, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, Nova Scotia Photography Tour, and a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.
If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.
You can make your donation through your PayPal account, or by using a number of credit card options.
Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.
Article is Copyright 2024 Thomas Stirr. Images are Copyright 2014-2023 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!