Carbon Bubble Tour
During the Summer of 2023, Staffordshire residents had the opportunity to learn more about climate change at the #CarbonBubble tour that visited the county.
The Carbon Bubble is a 10-meter installation that helps people visualize how their daily activities can impact carbon emissions.
Local council climate change teams were on hand at the events to provide advice and tips to help residents reduce their carbon footprint.
The events were set up to be as low carbon as possible.
The bubble was inflated using a low carbon fuel (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) and emissions from transporting the balloon were off set.
The carbon bubble initiative is part of the work of the Staffordshire Sustainability Board, a joint effort between the County Council and Staffordshire's eight district and borough councils to develop and deliver carbon reduction initiatives across the county.
What is carbon and why does it matter?
We emit carbon in almost everything we do, including driving a car, heating our homes, washing our clothes, throwing away rubbish, eating lunch and even charging our phone.
Climate change happens when too much carbon and other greenhouse gasses become trapped in the earth’s atmosphere and causes the planet to get hotter.
In Staffordshire climate change means hotter dryer summers and warmer wetter winters. It means more extreme weather conditions such as droughts in the Summer and an increase in flooding and storms.
We can’t stop producing carbon, but we can all do our bit to reduce how much we create, by making more sustainable choices.
Easy ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint
- Lower your energy use
Insulate, lower thermostat temperature and install LED lights.
- Active Travel
Swap short car journeys for walking or cycling.
- Buy Local
Check labels and buy local or UK produce if possible.
- Use Public Transport
Using public transport can help to reduce emissions and relieve congestion.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Only buy what you need, reuse or donate and recycle at home or at the recycling centres.
Work out your carbon footprint
You can work out your personal carbon footprint by using an online carbon calculator. It asks you a series of simple questions and takes less than 3 minutes to complete. Click here to work out your carbon footprint. This link will take you to the WWF carbon calculator.