From the meat we eat to the gas cows pass, all of our actions and lifestyle choices have an impact on the earth.

Today we're asking, what is a carbon footprint?

And we'll find out how to make ours a little bit smaller.

I'm Bethany Van Delft. It's October 19th, and this is the 10 News.

10. 9. 8, 7, 6. 5, 4, 3.2.

1.

October 6th was National Walk and Bike to School Day.

It's an annual event that encourages kids to, you guessed it, walk, bike, skate, or roll to school in any way other than riding in a car.

The day is as much about encouraging physical activity as it is about doing something that helps the environment,

because the less we ride in cars, the less air pollution gets released into our atmosphere.

It's one way we can reduce what's called our carbon footprint.

To help us understand what that means, let's go to our friend Lane Farber from the

Nature Nerds podcast.

What do you call a mark you leave behind when you walk?

Go on, guess.

A footprint.

Yes, that's right.

Whether it be footprints, paw prints, or a trail of slime,

all living creatures, big and small, leave behind signs of their movement.

Now, these footprints typically don't last very long.

They're trampled, washed away with the rain, or swept up by the rising tide.

But did you know that there are footprints that are far more permanent?

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