carbon footprint

Day 68 – A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions.

“The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average is closer to 4 tons. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop under 2 tons by 2050.” – The Nature Conservancy

By using a Carbon Footprint Calculator we can start figuring out how much greenhouse gas emissions we produce through our daily activities. Once we figure out where we are with our production of greenhouse gases, we can better understand how to reduce those emissions.

So what goes into calculating your carbon footprint? Information like how much electricity and natural gas your home uses in a year. What kind of car do you drive? Do you take public transportation? Even what kind of food and beverage you consume and the clothes you wear can affect your carbon footprint.

Earth911 recommends various Carbon Footprint Calculators. If you choose to use one, be sure to use the same one throughout your calculations. Jumping around from calculator to calculator will not be beneficial.

Carbon Footprint – This calculator is described as “extremely thorough”, which makes me a little apprehensive. It also uses British currency and measurements. So, conversions will be needed. I would rather not do extra math if I don’t have to.

World Wildlife Calculator – This is offered by the British division of the WWF. So, I’m guessing extra calculations would be needed to convert to U.S. currency and measurements. They do offer advice on reducing your carbon footprint available on their site.

CoolClimate Network – Created by the University of California Berkley, this calculator illustrates the breakdown of emissions across individual categories of activity.

Other sites mentioned:

I’m going to start using the The Nature Conservancy Carbon Calculator. I’ve chosen this calculator because I’m familiar with this organization. I really don’t know any specifics about the calculator, but will definitely update everyone on how it’s going. Please be sure to share how your carbon footprint calculator experience is going, too, if you choose to do it. I would love to know what kind of changes you have made to reduce your carbon footprint.

Tomorrow, be sure to pack your lunch.

Day 1 – Happy New Year! Thank you for joining me on my quest to be more environmentally friendly. I can’t think of a better way to start 2021! 365 Ways to Help Save the Planet was created to keep me motivated and to be a go to place to find ideas and suggestions on how we can help the environment. By no means am I an eco expert, but I’m learning everyday on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

I always thought I was doing my part, but I am finding out that I can be doing so much more. The changes will be small, (no plans to purchase an electric car or a wind turbine anytime soon), but overtime, the hope is that it can make all the difference in the world! I know my family of 6 will not be able to fit a year’s worth of waste into jar (yes, people have done this), but we are going to try really hard to reduce our waste and our carbon footprint.

So, let’s learn something new everyday to help the environment and turn that knowledge into action. The posts will discuss recycling, reusing, and most importantly reducing. The posts will be short and to the point. However, I’ll always give you the option of reading more by providing links to other resources. At times I might share ideas that you have been doing for years, but hopefully I can bring some new information to you that will help benefit the world in which we live. I also hope to learn from you, so please share what you know! My goal is to stay active and excited and hopefully we can motivate each other to make the changes that will really make a difference.

Tomorrow, I’ll fill you in on how this whole thing got started.

365 Ways to Save the Planet

No action is too small to make a difference.

Carbon Footprint: Tools to calculate your impact

Let’s Go!