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The Truth about Greenhouse Gasses and Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
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Climate change, greenhouse gasses and reducing our carbon footprint are critical issues to the planet and to each and every one of us. Solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change are emerging and having an impact yet we need to do more.
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, also known as the greenhouse guru, is a UC Davis professor, air quality specialist, and Director, UC Davis CLEAR Center. He joined Kathleen on Earth Day to help us all understand the environmental and health impacts of agriculture, food waste, fossil fuels and more.
You don’t want to miss this fascinating discussion that will enlighten you about causes of climate change. It will inspire you to make informed decisions that can improve the health of the planet and ourselves. Start today by reducing your food waste to make your personal impact on global warming.
Key Messages about Greenhouse Gasses and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint:
- There are 3 greenhouse gasses (GHG):
- carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, oil, coal, gas, transportation, power and cement industry
- methane from organic material decomposing under oxygen deprived conditions from swamps, rice paddies, food waste and ruminant animals
- nitric oxide from nitrogen decomposing in the ground
- Estimated GHG impacts:
4% livestock
8-10% food waste
10% agriculture
27% transportation
25% electricity
24% industry - Plant-based diets have the lowest carbon footprint.
- Methane is uniquely different from the others as it is naturally destroyed within 10 years, whereas the others’ GHGs stay forever.
- Innovation is turning methane into a solution. California dairy farmers are covering their lagoons (60% methane) to trap the methane gas which is being cleaned as a renewable natural Bio Gas for semi-trucks and buses.
- Food waste is an astronomical problem! In the U.S. we waste 40% of all food produced. Of that 40%, half or more is from produce and 10-20% from animal sources. That’s almost twice the annual emissions produced by all cars driven in the U.S. and Europe. What would the impact be if we could reduce waste?
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