9 Facts About Carbon That You'll Be Surprised To Learn — If You Didn't Already Know

Time to get clued-up on the 'c word'.

Carbon footprint, carbon emissions, carbon neutral, carbon cycle — yes, we hear a LOT about carbon. It's the word that's springing up everywhere — and rightfully so, as it's what we need to focus on to tackle climate change. That's all the more reason to get knowledgeable about it!

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There can be mixed messages about carbon, and it can be confusing telling apart fact from fiction — especially how it relates to our everyday activities.

Getting a clearer picture of our carbon footprint — and the best ways to minimise our impact – helps us focus our efforts, and ultimately better protect the planet. 

So without further ado, here are nine surprising facts to inspire your next carbon-reduction minded actions:

1. The term 'carbon' has developed a few different meanings since it's come into wider use, which — you know — can confuse things.

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As you may recall from your school science lessons, carbon is a chemical element, but in the context of climate change it's a term that's used pretty loosely.

It's often used broadly to refer to carbon dioxide (CO2) — the most common greenhouse gas emitted through human activity — but really, it refers to the amount of carbon in the CO2; the emissions. 

It's also sometimes used as a term for greenhouse gases in general — despite not all of them having carbon in them (again, confusing). In this case, 'carbon dioxide equivalent' (CO2e) is actually the accurate term.

2. In Australia, the average person's carbon footprint is 15.4 tonnes of CO2 — more than SEVEN times what it needs to be, to keep the planet at a 'safe' level of warming.

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For us to limit global warming and keep the planet below 2-degrees celsius (the goal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) — every human needs to reduce their carbon footprint to two tonnes of CO2. 

The initial timeframe to meet that target was 2050, but now experts say we need to bring our carbon footprint down to just over two tonnes by 2030. 

Worryingly, over a third of Australians (39%) don't know what the target is, according to research by The University of Technology Sydney (UTS). 

3. Switching your super to an ethical fund can save you more carbon than living car-free for a year — and it takes mere minutes!

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Okay, mind blown. Who would ever have guessed that!?

New research has found that switching $50,000 of your investments or super to an ethical fund with a low carbon footprint equates to reducing your impact by 2.8 tonnes of carbon emissions, whilst living car-free for a year saves 2.4 tonnes.

Most of us don't even realise this is a way of reducing our carbon impact, but it's actually one of the biggest and easiest things we can do! 

And while switching our super has an impactful indirect effect, that doesn't mean we should stop doing other things like using an e-car, recycling and most changes we make with the aim of reducing our carbon emissions.

Australian Ethical is Australia's leading ethical super fund, so it's a great starting point if you're keen to learn more.

4. Our love affair with dark chocolate is, well, a bit of an issue — and we don't mean because of your 'new year, new me' health goals. Dark chocolate has — tragically — a BIG carbon footprint.

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Hey, look. We're just the messenger. But yes, dark chocolate (rather than milk) is the second-highest carbon-emitting food after beef. Because it has a higher proportion of cocoa, which is farmed extensively in parts of West Africa (and then obviously transported all over the world), dark chocolate's carbon emissions are pretty dire, on a kilo-by-kilo basis.

Can't ditch the dark stuff? Choose brands that have the FairTrade or Rainforest Alliance certification (same applies for coffee), which means they're working to improve the sustainability of their farming practices.

5. Changing to a renewable energy plan has far bigger carbon-saving potential than recycling your paper, glass and plastic.

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Of course, recycling is important — and we should all keep doing it. However, it doesn't have the carbon-saving impact many people think it does. 

Research from Australian Ethical shows a year's worth of recycling paper, plastic and glass saves 453kg per year in carbon emissions, while switching to a renewable energy plan saves 6,278kg CO2e. 

Recycling 50% of organic waste at home also has more impact — saving 635kg of CO2e in a year.

6. We do love our cow's milk — but it comes at a high cost. Aussies create an average of one tonne of carbon emissions a year just from consuming dairy milk.

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We get through a lot of dairy milk here in Australia (more than our US and European friends), which isn't great for the planet, due to the massive amounts of methane produced through the farming of dairy animals. Although plant-based milk alternatives are by no means perfect, they do make a more earth-friendly choice.

Research from UTS shows that almond milk is one of the lowest carbon emitting plant-based options (at 0.70kg of carbon per one litre of milk), with oat milk also an excellent choice (at 0.90kg) — should you be looking to switch!

7. Another reason to get off your phones and laptops — as if you needed one: Your digital life is adding to your carbon footprint.

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Yep, all those emails in your mailbox, screenshots and phone pics, cached web searches and cloud back-ups — are properly contributing to your carbon footprint. The data network centres draw on vast amounts of energy to keep servers running, and to keep them cool, too.

Got a bit of spare time? Spring clean your files and photos for an easy way to lessen your carbon impact. Also, you might want to consider how you watch your next video too.

8. How you stream video affects your carbon impact more than you might realise. (Blame it on the fossil fuels.)

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So you know how Australia relies heavily on fossil fuels for its energy production? Well, because of that, when you stream an hour of video Down Under, the carbon impact is that much bigger compared to somewhere like France, where 90% of their energy comes from low-carbon sources.

So, choose your streaming device wisely. What you watch content on plays a key role in emissions — a 50-inch LED TV, for example, generates 13 times more emissions than streaming the same video on a smartphone.

9. And finally, recycling your organic waste saves more than three times as many emissions as cutting your shower time by five minutes.

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Using less water in the home is a brilliantly simple way to make carbon savings, but it might surprise you to know that recycling your organic waste can save almost three times as much. 

(1,250 kg of CO2 emissions for recycling organic waste, versus 387kg for cutting short your shower!).

Australian Ethical allows you to align your investments with your values. To find out more about how you can save 2,793kg of carbon on average annually through switching your super fund, head on over to the Australian Ethical website today.

_{The carbon footprint estimates provided should not be taken as an absolute guide and should not be relied upon for making financial decisions. The comparison benchmark is a blended benchmark of the S&P ASX 200 Index (for Australian and New Zealand share holdings) and MSCI World ex Australia Index (for international fund share holdings).  If you are considering making a switch, please consider not only investments and fees but also any difference in the insurance provided by the fund. You should consider seeking advice and read the relevant PDS and TMD to make an informed decision based on your own financial objectives, situation and needs.  Issued by Australian Ethical Superannuation Pty Ltd (ABN 43 079 259 733, AFSL 526 055). For more information visit australianethical.com.au.}