Carbon footprint
CO2 emission per capita
per year per country
Definition
Activities that affect the carbon footprint of individuals
How big is your footprint?
Minimise your carbon footprint
Offsetting your carbon footprint
See also
Definition
Carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels; in the case of an organization, business or enterprise, as part of their everyday operations; in the case of an individual or household, as part of their daily lives; or a product or commodity in reaching market. In materials, is essentially a measure of embodied energy, the result of life cycle analysis.
A carbon footprint is often expressed as tons of carbon dioxide or tons of carbon emitted, usually on a yearly basis. There are many versions of calculators available for carbon footprinting.
This is directly related to the amount of natural resources consumed, increasingly used or referred to as a measure of environmental impact. Carbon dioxide is recognized as a greenhouse gas, of which increasing levels in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and climate change.
The following activities affect the carbon footprint of individuals, according to the various calculators available:
Car travel: depends on distance driven, fuel efficiency, and number of passengers per vehicle.
Air travel: depends on distance and number of flights. Take-off and landing use large amounts of fuel, so two short flights produce more carbon than one long flight of comparative distance.
Boat travel: depends on distance traveled, fuel efficiency, and size of the boat. Can produce up to 8 times more carbon dioxide than an airplane traveling the same distance [citation needed].
Other motorised transport such as bus or train: normally counts for less per person than either car or air travel.
Electricity use, if provided by non-renewable resources. Some calculators ask for figures from utility bills, while others estimate the amount from size of household and usage patterns (such as whether you leave equipment on standby overnight).
• Home heating: depends on fuel source and amount used.
• Food miles: how much food you buy from non-local sources.
• Diet: meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan, conventionally farmed foods or organic produce.
How
big is
your footprint?
Find out, and then do something about it!
Carbon footprint calculator
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html
Find out, and then do something about it!
Carbon footprint calculator
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html
Today it is more important than ever before to minimise your footprint. Not only are the developed western countries producing more and more carbon emissions, but there is a growing problem as the population in Africa and Asia start living improved lifestyles which consume more energy.
Did you know... Electricity is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions, so every time you make a coffee or turn the television on you are adding to global warming.
The following is a list of simple things you can do immediately, which will start to reduce your contribution to global warming. The items in this list will cost you no money at all and will in fact save you money.
Sign up to a green energy supplier, who will supply electricity from renewable sources (e.g. wind and hydroelectric power) - this will reduce your carbon footprint contribution from electricity to zero
•
Turn it off when not in use (lights, television, DVD player, Hi
Fi,
computer etc. etc.
• Turn down the central heating slightly (try just 1 to 2 degrees C)
• Turn down the water heating setting (just 2 degrees will make a significant saving)
• Check the central heating timer setting - remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for work
• Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load - this will save you water, electricity, and washing powder
• Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need
• Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging
• Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly
• Do your weekly shopping in a single trip
• Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it
• Go for a run rather than drive to the gym
• Turn down the central heating slightly (try just 1 to 2 degrees C)
• Turn down the water heating setting (just 2 degrees will make a significant saving)
• Check the central heating timer setting - remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for work
• Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load - this will save you water, electricity, and washing powder
• Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need
• Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging
• Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly
• Do your weekly shopping in a single trip
• Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it
• Go for a run rather than drive to the gym
The following is a list of items that may take an initial investment, but should pay for themselves over the course of 1-4 years through savings on your energy bills.
• Fit energy saving light bulbs
• Install thermostatic valves on your radiators
• Insulate your hot water tank, your loft and your walls
35% of heat generated in the house is lost through the walls
• Installing cavity wall installation to a medium size house should reduce your heating bills by up to £100 per year
• By installing 180mm thick loft insulation you could stop about 25% of your heating escaping through the roof
• Recycle your grey water
• Replace your old fridge / freezer (if it is over 15 years old), with a new one with energy efficiency rating of "A"
• Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler
• Travel less and travel more carbon footprint friendly.
• Car share to work, or for the kids school run
• Use the bus or a train rather than your car
• Don't use domestic flights (e.g. from London to Edinburgh), use a train or a coach.
• Take the ferry or channel tunnel instead of flying to France
• See if your employer will allow you to work from home one day a week
• Next time you replace your car - check out diesel engines. With one of these you can even make your own Biodiesel fuel.
• When on holiday - hire a bicycle to explore locally rather than a car
• When staying in a hotel turn the lights and air-conditioning off when you leave your hotel room
• Ask for you room towels to be washed every other day, rather than every day
• Install thermostatic valves on your radiators
• Insulate your hot water tank, your loft and your walls
35% of heat generated in the house is lost through the walls
• Installing cavity wall installation to a medium size house should reduce your heating bills by up to £100 per year
• By installing 180mm thick loft insulation you could stop about 25% of your heating escaping through the roof
• Recycle your grey water
• Replace your old fridge / freezer (if it is over 15 years old), with a new one with energy efficiency rating of "A"
• Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler
• Travel less and travel more carbon footprint friendly.
• Car share to work, or for the kids school run
• Use the bus or a train rather than your car
• Don't use domestic flights (e.g. from London to Edinburgh), use a train or a coach.
• Take the ferry or channel tunnel instead of flying to France
• See if your employer will allow you to work from home one day a week
• Next time you replace your car - check out diesel engines. With one of these you can even make your own Biodiesel fuel.
• When on holiday - hire a bicycle to explore locally rather than a car
• When staying in a hotel turn the lights and air-conditioning off when you leave your hotel room
• Ask for you room towels to be washed every other day, rather than every day
As well as your primary carbon footprint, there is also a secondary footprint that you cause through your buying habits. If you buy foods out of season at the super market, then these will have either been flown or shipped in from far away - all adding to your carbon footprint.
• Buy local wine i.e. if you live
in the UK then buy from European
countries rather than Australia, South Africa, and America
• Buy local fruit and vegetables, or even try growing your own
• Try to buy clothes and products from closer to home (look out and avoid items that are made in the distant lands such as China and India)
• Buy local fruit and vegetables, or even try growing your own
• Try to buy clothes and products from closer to home (look out and avoid items that are made in the distant lands such as China and India)
In addition there is your footprint at work. Do you leave your computer and monitor on when you are away from your desk? Do you leave the lights on when you leave the office? Do you print documents unnecessarily - and could you print two pages to a side and double sided?
Climate change will only be addressed if each and every one of us takes responsible steps to REDUCE their CO2 emissions. We do realise that for some individuals, businesses and organisations, avoidance of all CO2 emissions will be almost impossible – in this case, Carbon Offsetting plays a vital role.
What is Offsetting?
Each of our everyday actions consume energy and produce carbon dioxide emissions, e.g. taking holiday flights, driving our cars, heating or cooling our homes. Carbon Offsetting is a way of compensating for the emissions produced with an equivalent carbon dioxide saving.
How do I Offset?
The process of Carbon offsetting involves two steps – first a calculation of your carbon footprint. See above: How big is your footprint?
The second step involves buying ‘carbon offset’ credits from emission reduction projects. Such projects will prevent / have already prevented or removed an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere in the World. As CO2 emissions are distributed across the World, it does not matter whether you make the reduction in Manchester or Mumbai – the positive effect on the environment will be the same.
Purchasable carbon offsets fall into two categories that we call
Certified Carbon Credits - These products derive from international climate exchanges, are fully traceable and ‘retire’ Carbon Offsets made by Companies that would otherwise be traded on to other Companies to help them to meet their emissions targets. By retiring these credits you will encourage industry to take active steps to reduce their emissions, rather than relying on efforts of others. You’ll also be encouraging Companies that save CO2 to continue their efforts – both helping to address climate change. When you purchase our carbon credits, the CO2 savings will have already been made. By buying you are encouraging organisations to continue to make savings of CO2, and pushing the market to make it increasingly expensive for polluting companies to buy more credits.
Voluntary Carbon Credits – These products include tree planting programmes. Trees reduce CO2 by a process known as carbon sequestration – i.e. trees breathe in CO2 and exhale harmless Oxygen. Trees have further benefits of providing sustainable eco-environments. They provide habitat for wild-life, encourage biodiversity, beautifying landscapes. In developing countries, they also support community sustainability by encouraging sustainable land management & build wealth creation.
See also
Your carbon footprint revealed
Carbon offsetting
Wrong problem, wrong solution