5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint from home减少家庭碳足迹的5种方法

安徽 王涛涛

这5种方法可帮助你在日常生活中积极地减少碳足迹，实现可持续发展。

1The easiest way to be sustainable on a day-to-day basis is by taking active strides （大步；步幅）towards reducing your carbon footprint.Here are five easy methods you can consider.

●Sticking to the five R's

2To reduce your carbon footprint from home,you should learn to Reduce,Reuse,Recycle,Rot and Refuse.There are many things you can do.For examole,you can set up a live compost （堆肥）bin in your home to change biodegradable waste into manure or energy.It is an excellent technique to reduce carbon footprint.Similarly,recycling plastic or glass objects or repurposing them in your home is also effective.

●Refusing single-use plastic

3Around 17 percent of the global carbon budget by 2050 will be consumed by plastic,without any intervention,as per a study.This rise in the use of plastic can be largely attributed to the role single-use plastic plays in the day-to-day consumption.An easy way to reduce your carbon emissions is by simply switching from using single-use plastic items,especially water bottles and straws,to those made of reusable materials like metal and wood.

●Switching to more sustainable modes of fashion

4A study from the United Nations has revealed that“fast fashion” has contributed to nearly 10 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.By merely shopping less,opting to buy second-hand clothes or purchasing from certified eco-friendly labels you can reduce your carbon footprint.

●Conserving water

5Another simple way is simply by turning off the tap whenever possible.This includes shutting off the tap when doing routine jobs like brushing your teeth or shaving.By actively implementing this,you will be able to conserve water without leaving behind a large carbon footprint.

●Buying local produce

6Sustainability includes using resources that are readily available to you in your environment.One method in which you can drastically reduce your carbon footprint is by sourcing most of the ingredients used in your kitchen locally.A large chunk of the greenhouse gas emissions are involved in the production of food that comes in transport.By choosing resources locally,you will be able to reduce your carbon footprint efficiently.

Reading Check

Ⅰ.Choose the best answers according to the text

Detail 1.Which of the following belongs to “Sticking to the five R's”?

A.Refusing single-use plastic.

B.Recycling glass objects.

C.Buying a non-renewable item.

D.Shopping in a nearby store.

Vocabulary 2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined phrase “contributed to”?

A.Led in. B.Turned into. C.Resulted in. D.Taken into.

Detail 3.What can we learn from the paragraph of“Refusing single-use plastic”?

A.Around 17% of the global carbon budget is consumed by plastic.

B.Plastic consumption is mainly caused by single-use plastic.

C.Recycling plastic can help control the plastic consumption.

D.By choosing resources locally,we can refuse single-use plastic.

Inference 4.From which is the text probably taken?

A.A guide book.

B.An entertainment journal.

C.A news report.

D.An environmental magazine.

Ⅱ.Discussion

In addition to the five methods in the text,what other tips can you offer to reduce your carbon footprint in your daily life?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Language Study

Ⅰ.Fill in each blank with only one word or one phrase according to the text

5 w a y s t o r e d u c e y o u r c a r b o n f o o t p r i n t f r o m h o m e S w i t c h i n g t o m o r e s u s t a i n a b l e m o d e s o f 5._______C o n s e r v i n g w a t e r B u y i n g 8._______p r o d u c e●B y m e r e l y s h o p p i n g l e s s,o p t i n g t o b u y s e c o n d-h a n d c l o t h e s o r p u r-c h a s i n g f r o m c e r t i f i e d 6.______ _l a b e l s.●B y 7._______t h e t a p w h e n e v e r p o s s i b l e.●B y s o u r c i n g m o s t o f t h e i n g r e d i e n t s u s e d i n y o u r k i t c h e n l o c a l l y.R e f u s i n g 3.______ _p l a s t i c●B y s i m p l y s w i t c h i n g f r o m u s i n g s i n g l e-u s e p l a s t i c i t e m s,e s p e c i a l l y w a t e r b o t t l e s a n d s t r a w s,t o t h o s e m a d e o f 4.______ _m a t e r i a l s l i k e m e t a l a n d w o o d.S t i c k i n g t o t h e f i v e R's ●T h e f i v e R's—R e d u c e,1._______,2._______,R o t a n d R e f u s e.

Ⅱ.Complete the following phrases according to the text

1.建立；设置 set_____________

2.被……消耗 be _____________by

3.归因于 be _____________to

4.快时尚 _____________fashion

5.关掉 shut_____________

6.涉及；包括 be _____________in