Climate change and the rapid deterioration of our planet is humanity’s biggest concern. The 2021 IPCC report revealed that the carbon dioxide atmospheric concentrations in 2019 were the highest they’ve been in at least two million years. We’ve already seen, and we continue to experience the repercussions: extreme weather conditions, ranging from wildfires to storms and droughts.

It’s safe to say we’re in a downward spiral, and we need to take urgent measures, each one of us, to reduce our carbon footprint. 

For those of you who are not yet familiar with carbon footprint, it’s the totality of the greenhouse gases that we generate through the things we do. They include what and how much we consume, transportation and lifestyle choices, etc. To calculate your carbon footprint, you can use this online calculator. 

Since saving our planet is a common effort, we need to be aware of our carbon footprint and take small and consistent steps to reduce it. There are a variety of things and tools we can use to tackle climate change and reduce our carbon footprint, and smart technology is one of our best allies in this pursuit. Here’s how:

1. Smart Homes Save Energy

With smart technology becoming increasingly available, we can now tune up our homes with smart devices that help us save energy and reduce our carbon footprint. And at the same time, we get to save money as well on our electricity and water bills. Our house can become a smart home by integrating the following smart devices:

• Smart thermostat – With a smart thermostat, you can save between 10 to 12% on heating and around 15% on cooling. You have 24/7 control over the temperature in your home from your phone app, making it easy to do any adjustments in real-time. Having full control over the temperature in your home allows you to also manage your carbon footprint. 

• Smart water control systems  – Unfortunately, water waste is happening in most households. Whether it happens because of unforeseen leaks or we simply leave the water on high pressure when it is not necessary, we’ve all been there. 

Smart water control systems help tackle this problem efficiently by controlling the water flow and its pressure. You can control it digitally, and you get alerted when leak issues appear so you can intervene as soon as possible. 

To get an idea of how important water control is in reducing the carbon footprint, water-related energy use in the US accounts for 5% of the nation’s carbon emissions. Five percent may not seem like much, but it’s the equivalent of more than 62 coal-fired power plants.

• Lighting control systems – When we waste electricity by leaving the lights on when not necessary, we increase our carbon footprint by also cutting down the lifespan of our lightning devices. This brings us to the point of replacing our lightning devices more often, thus contributing directly to increasing production and greenhouse gas emissions. 

With lighting control systems, you can individually control the lighting devices in your home from the comfort of your phone. Forgetting your lights on the whole day while in a hurry to get to the office will become a thing of the past. The system also allows you to reduce your electricity use and preserve the life of your lightning devices by dimming the lights when necessary. 

• Smart plugs – Smart devices used to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint also include smart plugs. There are a few home appliances that use energy when plugged in even though they are not in use, like the computers, TV, AC, and the like. Smart plugs don’t provide electricity to appliances that are not in use, thus helping you save more efficiently. And every bit counts, both for the planet and your wallet. 

2. Smart Devices Help Cut Down on Paper Use and Production

One of the best benefits of modern technology is it can help us build a world with less paper consumption. And less paper consumption leads to less paper production and thus a reduction in deforestation. That is crucial in the fight against climate change because the loss of forests decreases oxygen and increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

Reading books, taking notes, writing in a journal, making transactions, all of these things are now available without using paper thanks to smart technology. Whenever we choose to use a tech device instead of a paper we’ll most likely end up throwing away, we contribute to reducing our carbon footprint. 

3. Smart Traffic Systems Help Reduce Pollution by Cutting Down on Emissions

Cities around the world are starting to use smart traffic systems that include sensors and traffic lights for a smoother traffic flow. Cars use more fuel and increase emissions more when they stop and stand at the traffic lights. Smart sensors detect where traffic jams are likely to happen and change the traffic lights to keep the cars moving with fewer stops.

Smart traffic systems are a promising solution to highly polluted cities with increased traffic and a way to help tackle the eternal problem of traffic jams, while also contributing immensely to the reduction of our carbon footprint. 

Bottom Line

Every little thing we do to save energy, water, and fuel contributes to the reduction of our carbon footprint and helps the planet. Big changes start from each one of us, and one of the easiest ways to start reducing our carbon footprint as individuals is to have a smart home, equipped to save energy and money while making our lives more comfortable.

If you’ve decided to reduce your carbon footprint by installing smart devices into your home, contact us, and we’ll help you make the best decision for your house and your budget. At SphereAV we’ll offer you a free no-obligation in-house consultation.