A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly to support human activities, usually expressed as tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. It measures the greenhouse gases an individual or organization is responsible for emitting in a given time period, such as a year. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change effects like rising temperatures and melting glaciers. Carbon footprints have direct emissions from sources like fuel combustion and indirect emissions from processes like electricity production. Small changes like using public transportation instead of cars, reducing energy usage, switching to renewable energy, eating less meat, and recycling can help reduce individual carbon footprints.