You may find that many people are investigating how they, or their companies or households, are contributing to the energy crisis. People want to make a difference! And you can't make a change in how you affect the environment unless you know how you are affecting it! It's the first step to making a difference - and you can take that step by using a carbon footprint calculator.
Your carbon footprint helps you calculate impact. A carbon footprint is defined as: a measure of the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that we produce, either directly or indirectly. Most commonly, CO2 is used as the increment of measure.
For example, when you drive - you generate CO2, when you heat your home or when you travel by air, you are also producing CO2. Even some nights, cooking dinner can result in a high production of CO2 - not necessarily because of the way you are cooking, but because you are eating foods that aren't local. That food has traveled 1000s of miles to make it to your plate.
Your carbon footprint is the sum of all these activities.
Direct (or sometimes called primary) footprint is the measurement of our direct CO2 emissions from the burning of fuels. It includes energy consumption in your home or workplace, and transportation.
Indirect (or sometimes called secondary) footprint is the measurement of the indirect CO2 emissions from the lifecycle of products we use. It measures what it takes to make a product, or what energy is required in the eventual disposal, breakdown or recycling process for that product.
- Keep your car at home - rideshare, walk, bike, or consider public transportation.
- Try to avoid flying if possible - consider taking a train.
- Ask your electric company if they offer green energy options.
- Invest in a solar water heater - it can reduce your gas bill by over 70% a year.
- Think about how things are produced. Only recently have consumers learned the vast amount of oil that is required to produce all those bottles for the water we drink! And keep in mind how far your goods have traveled to get to you - it takes large planes, ships, and trucks to transport goods - all of which emit lots of CO2!
- Buy local food. Strawberries might taste great year round, but if they aren't in season locally, that means they are being shipped. Produce, wine, and many other items travel from across the world to make it to our shelves. Try planting a garden!
- Buy clothing that is produced within 1,000 miles of where you live.
- Avoid items that have unnecessary packaging - it consumes a lot of energy to make, and even more to break down when you throw it away!