{"id":484830,"date":"2024-08-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=484830"},"modified":"2024-08-13T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T06:00:00","slug":"my-carbon-diary-an-environmental-reality-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/my-carbon-diary-an-environmental-reality-check\/","title":{"rendered":"My carbon diary: An environmental reality check"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the grand scheme of carbon footprints, mine is that of a humble student. I navigate life for 300 days a year as a moderately eco-friendly human, at least by European standards. I live in a shared house and stick to a primarily vegetarian\/pescatarian diet. Plus, as a Spanish expat in the Netherlands, I\u2019ve embraced the country\u2019s transport culture with my Swapfiets.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea, therefore, of keeping track of my carbon footprint has never been a cause of disturbance. This is my disclaimer before I confess: this past week was one the most polluting of this year. Last week, I kept track of my day-to-day carbon footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Alma, welcome to my carbon diary: A reality check for us all – and a hit to my eco-conscious image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heat of Madrid<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The week began harmlessly. I was in Madrid, visiting my family and battling a relentless heatwave. I kept the air conditioning to a strategic set of daily hours at a modest 25 degrees. My lovely grandma, representing many grandmas out there, overfed me with local products from her go-to butcher: greengrocer, and seasonal fruit vendor. (Fun fact: a study<\/a> from the Spanish Polytechnic University of Valencia claims Spanish beef farming emits 66% less greenhouse gases than the global average.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those initial days were relatively low-impact, considering my omnivorous diet, minimal travel, and simple hobbies\u2014sweaty strolls with my cousin through Madrid\u2019s scorched streets and remote work on my laptop. My main sources of pollution? Not activities, but food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electricity\u2019s CO\u2082 contribution involved two main factors: plugged devices, and AC. While summer reduces the need for artificial lighting, it screams for cooling solutions. My steadfast ally was the AC, operational in the afternoons and off by bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the same carbon emissions formula (energy consumption x energy intensity) I also calculated my laptop and phone’s charging footprint. Overall, the math was the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The carbon tally<\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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