As the world stands at a climate crossroads, our actions today will decide what tomorrow will look like for generations to come. Our reporter Wang Tongxuan explains how many of us can drastically reduce our own carbon emissions, from 14 tonnes a year to as little as two.
Our carbon footprint is the product of the greenhouse gases we release during our daily lives. But how does one go about reducing their emissions? Well, every little helps.
Our own carbon footprint stems from five categories: housing, travel, food, products and services.
Try saving a little bit of water during your morning wash, as well as remembering to unplug electrical appliances, and insulating windows to maximize heating before you leave home
And take public transport whenever you can-- on average, public transit passengers eliminate 78,000 tons of air pollutants a year.
At meal time, removing meat from your diet can also help. The international meat industry produces roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
Research says that by becoming a vegetarian, you can take 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air every year. And of course if you are a meat lover, just reducing your intake will also help.
Go shopping with your own reusable bag. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% are recycled.
Cutting your own carbon emissions from 14 tonnes to just two per year is achievable...and easier than you might think.
Today I conveyed some very simple ways where we can reduce our carbon footprint if you think your actions aren't much, but every little helps. If everyone make an efforts to take these extra steps, days like this in Beijing may become a thing of a past.
