winter is in full swing . With lower temperatures , families are increasingly cranking up their furnaces , and that means a larger emissions footprint . Many consumers don ’ t realize that heating and cooling are the major components of
a home ’ s carbon footprint , making up more than 40 % of total emissions on average . Fortunately , there are simple steps you can take to reduce your environmental impact this winter season .
Address Your Furnace Pollution An easy and affordable option is to offset your furnace ’ s harmful carbon pollution through carbon offset purchases . A carbon offset allows a person to support efforts that help capture carbon — like reforestation efforts — with the goal of reducing overall emission levels in the atmosphere . Research has shown that carbon
offsets , done correctly , have successfully lowered emissions . CleanChoice Energy ’ s
Clean Furnace carbon offsets plan can help you reduce your carbon footprint by supporting the growth of U . S . forests . Forest degradation is a huge and growing problem .
The World Bank estimates that globally about 3.9 million square miles of forest have been lost since the beginning of the 20th century — equal to a landmass about 15 times greater than the state of Texas .
Meanwhile , deforestation disrupts water cycles , fuels soil erosion , impacts biodiversity , and furthers climate change . Forests play an essential role in mitigating
greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon dioxide , storing it in their trunks , leaves , branches , roots , and even in the forest soil . Yet when forests are cut , burned , or otherwise removed they emit — not absorb — carbon . By some estimates , forest degradation is responsible for about
15 % of all greenhouse gas emissions . On average an acre of forest protection
helps offset at least one ton of carbon pollution per year . In fact ,
research shows that forests are still the best technology we have to pull carbon out of the air .
H O W T O K E E P Y O U R H O M E W A R M A N D R E D U C E E N V I R O N M E N T A L G U I L T
N A T U R A L W O M A N M A G A Z I N E www . asknaturalwoman . com