How to Live a Zero Carbon Life
Is it too late to reverse global warming? Probably. But even if solar flares and mega tsunamis threaten life on Earth, you should still be separating your recyclables.
Zero-carbon: The Holy Grail in the quest to save our planet from climate change. It may not come as a surprise, but Hong Kong has a ways to go on the path to zero carbon. The current state of the city’s annual carbon emission levels are at about 5.2 tons per person, according to the World Bank’s 2010 report. In 2011, Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department’s evaluation saw an increase to 6 tons. Just for comparison: Singapore clocks in at 2.7 per head.
When measuring emissions, the Hong Kong government doesn’t take into account several factors, such as production or transit, meaning the official numbers may be vastly underestimated. Private carbon auditor Catherine Touzard suggests that the reality may be a few tons more per person. “Hong Kong’s footprint is mainly energy production and consumption, but there are a lot of embodied emissions [from every step of the production process] in the products we use,” she says. Offsetting carbon footprints—aka the greenhouse gas emissions dispelled into the atmosphere by organizations, events or people—is one way to slow the process. But how can you personally reduce your carbon footprint?
World Environment Day
1. Recycle Your Trash
According to the Environmental Protection Department, Hongkongers dispose of an average of 9,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day. That’s the equivalent of 750 double decker buses being carted off to landfills, where capacity is limited. Hong Kong’s three landfills are expected to fill up as early as 2016. Emissions from our waste also contribute to at least 5.3 percent of the city’s carbon footprint.
The government says it has a plan, which started with plastic bag levies and will eventually include a system that charges citizens for waste disposal by weight, according to District Councilor and Designing Hong Kong CEO Paul Zimmerman. To address overflowing landfills, the government plans to build several more incinerators to deal with sludge and sewage, as well as burn household waste before sending the remnants for burial.
But there are many flaws with the plan. “The problem with the burners is that they’re put on one island, the landfills are in other locations, and the facilities for separation are elsewhere, so it’s all over the place,” explains Zimmerman. “From a waste logistics point of view, it doesn’t make any sense.”
The government’s added infrastructure and levies aside, waste management should really start at home. “People should make it easy for the cleaners and the old ladies to pick recyclable materials out of your waste,” says Zimmerman. “In your kitchen, separate your waste into what is likely to be recyclable—make sure it’s washed and clean, and put it in a box. The cleaner it is, the easier it is for people to separate.”