carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide gas that is made by a person, group, or activity. It measures how much your actions, like driving or using electricity, affect the environment.
Examples
3 of 5Walking to the store is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Walking to the store is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
The government is introducing new laws to decrease the national carbon footprint.
The government is introducing new laws to decrease the national carbon footprint.
I'm trying to lower my carbon footprint by eating less meat this year.
I'm trying to lower my carbon footprint by eating less meat this year.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Imagine your shoes leaving black marks of gas on the ground as you walk; that is the mark (footprint) you leave on the Earth's air.
Quick Quiz
Using the bus instead of a car is a great way to ____ your carbon footprint.
Correct!
The correct answer is: reduce
Examples
Walking to the store is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
everydayWalking to the store is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
The government is introducing new laws to decrease the national carbon footprint.
formalThe government is introducing new laws to decrease the national carbon footprint.
I'm trying to lower my carbon footprint by eating less meat this year.
informalI'm trying to lower my carbon footprint by eating less meat this year.
The study analyzes the carbon footprint of global shipping industries over the last decade.
academicThe study analyzes the carbon footprint of global shipping industries over the last decade.
Our corporation is committed to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by 2040.
businessOur corporation is committed to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by 2040.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
leave a carbon footprint
leave a carbon footprint
measure your carbon footprint
measure your carbon footprint
carbon footprint calculator
carbon footprint calculator
Often Confused With
Ecological footprint measures all resources used, while carbon footprint focuses specifically on greenhouse gas emissions.
Usage Notes
The term is almost always used when discussing environmental protection and climate change. It is usually paired with verbs like 'reduce', 'lower', 'calculate', or 'increase'.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 'carbon mark' or 'carbon track' instead of 'carbon footprint'. It is always a compound noun.
Memory Tip
Imagine your shoes leaving black marks of gas on the ground as you walk; that is the mark (footprint) you leave on the Earth's air.
Word Origin
Created in the late 1990s as a metaphor to describe the human impact on the Earth, modeled after the older term 'ecological footprint'.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
This is a key concept in modern Western environmental movements and corporate social responsibility goals.
Quick Quiz
Using the bus instead of a car is a great way to ____ your carbon footprint.
Correct!
The correct answer is: reduce
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