Imagine stepping onto wet cement. You leave a footprint that remains. Just as with wet cement, all of us leave a kind of footprint on Earth. Everything you do, everything you eat, and every way you get around leaves a lasting mark on the Earth. It’s called your carbon footprint.
Your carbon footprint is all about how much carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere because of you. For example, if you ride in a car, you leave a larger carbon footprint than if you walk or ride a bike. That’s because a car’s engine releases a lot of carbon dioxide. Too far to walk? Then consider taking a bus or train. Your carbon footprint will be smaller than if you ride in a car.
Why should we care about our carbon footprints? Here’s why: Carbon dioxide traps the sun’s heat in our atmosphere. That’s called the greenhouse effect. A warmer atmosphere leads to changes on Earth that can cause droughts, floods, habitat loss for plants and animals, and a rise in sea level.