Carbon Foot Print

Consumers are becoming more aware of their dependence on fossil fuels and its impact on the environment. Beginning to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle can be a daunting task—with lots of new terminology and vendors marketing everything from windows to light bulbs with claims of energy efficiency. A good place to begin to assess your existing dependency and evaluate ways to reduce fuel use is to use an online tool to calculate carbon footprint. Tools that will calculate a carbon footprint will evaluate your lifestyle and provide feedback on the amount of carbon emissions you produce annually.

Carbon footprint calculators work by asking you a series of questions that quantify your emissions based upon your lifestyle. Most tools that calculate carbon footprints begin with an average individual emissions amount that is calculated by dividing total US annual emissions by the population. A Carbon footprint can be calculated for you as an individual, or based upon the size of your household.

Several factors increase the size of your  footprint. The primary source of carbon dioxide emissions is the burning of fossil fuels for energy (81% in 2008), therefore, your transportation amount and methods will increase your personal emissions. Shipping of goods and services from long distances also leads to increased carbon emissions, so the source of your food and shopping habits affect your footprint. The use of fossil fuels to heat and cool your home is also a contributing factor to emissions output.

Other factors benefit you when you calculate carbon footprint size. Transportation alternatives like driving hybrid vehicles or riding public transportation significantly reduce your use of gas. Choosing energy efficient appliances and HVAC equipment will similarly affect the amount of energy used at home. Simpler choices like recycling and replacing incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones will reduce your energy use, and therefore your carbon footprint. 

After you’ve answered the questions given, the calculator will give you the size of your carbon footprint, quantified as a number of metric tons of carbon emissions produced per year. As mentioned earlier, calculating your carbon footprint size is just the beginning of your journey. Now, you need to find ways to reduce or offset your carbon use.

A helpful reason to calculate carbon footprint is to learn methods for reducing your carbon emissions. Many calculators actually display the amount of annual emissions credited or deducted from your footprint as you answer the questions, which can be a great way to get ideas for living more efficiently. When reducing your carbon emissions, it’s best to take little steps first, and plan for larger changes as you can afford them. Taking shorter showers or unplugging appliances when unused are simple ways to reduce your footprint quickly and with no cost.

Another way to mitigate your carbon emissions is to invest in carbon offset. Carbon offset refers to providing financial support for projects that reduce or prevent carbon emissions. Carbon offset projects include reforestation, renewable energy and energy conservation programs. Purchases are quantified in carbon credits, each reflecting a unit equal to a one metric ton reduction in carbon emissions. Because of wide variances in terminology and standards among providers, consumers are advised to carefully compare credit options and look for investment in projects that offer third-party verification of emissions reduction.