How to Calculate your Carbon Footprint?

“What is a carbon footprint?”

The carbon footprint serves as an indicator to compare the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted from an activity, product, company or country. Carbon footprints are usually reported in tons of emissions per unit of comparison; such as per year, person, kg protein, km travelled and alike.

In technical terms, your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas you produce in units of carbon dioxide.

Why you need to measure your carbon footprint?

Reason #1: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Mitigates the Effects of Global Climate Change

Carbon emissions have devastating effects on the environment. Reducing your carbon footprint can mitigate these effects because the?less GHG we emit, the less we contribute to global climate change.

Carbon emissions cause the following negative environmental effects:

• Increasing temperatures
• Rising sea levels
• Melting of sea ice?
• Changing precipitation patterns:
• Ocean Acidification

The more we reduce the amount of GHG emissions, the more we slow the rate of temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification.

Reason #2: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Improves Public Health

Degradation of air quality as a result of carbon emissions is a serious issue. In?2009, the U.S. government declared CO2, CH4, N2O, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) threats to the public health and welfare of current and future generations.

Carbon emissions cause the following effects on health:

• Asthma, Respiratory Allergies, and Airway Diseases
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
• Effects of Heat
• Foodborne Diseases and Nutrition
• Human Developmental Effects
• Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders
• Vector borne and Zoonotic Diseases
• Waterborne Diseases

Reducing carbon emissions lessens the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events, improves air and water quality, maintains biodiversity, and supports a healthy food supply.

Reason #3: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Boosts Economy

A study in the journal Nature found that?every 1 trillion tons of CO2?translates to a gross domestic product (GDP) loss of nearly half a percent. If we pursue all available climate change mitigation measures, the total global economic cost would be 240-420 billion per year by 2030. This may seem like a lot, but that number is projected to be?less than 1% of the forecasted GDP in 2030. The benefits of mitigation would far outweigh the costs of implementation.

Reducing your carbon footprint is expensive, but it costs us more to do nothing than it does to take action now.?The strain placed on healthcare systems due to air pollution and?

Reason #4: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Maintains Plant and Animal Diversity

Climate change is one of the biggest?threats to the long-term survival of the planet’s plant and animal populations.?It disrupts the?ecological balance?between plant and animal species by increasing competition and forcing relocation.

• Plants: Are more susceptible to the effects of climate change because unlike animals, they cannot migrate as easily. They can only?survive, compete and reproduce in specific climate ranges?to which they are evolutionarily and physiologically adapted.?
• Animals: Can adapt more easily to climate change than plants, but they would still be hit hard by climate change. Endemic, those species living in one exclusive area, would be hit the hardest and would be the most likely to go extinct because they cannot survive anywhere else.?

We should care about maintaining plant and animal populations because healthy ecosystems have been linked with?cleaner air, water, and food.?

How to Calculate your Carbon Footprint?

The creator of "The Environment Equation," Alexandra Shimo-Barry, has developed a formula that shows how to determine your carbon footprint at home as well. To get there, just carry out the actions listed below.

1. Multiply your monthly electric bill by 105
2. Multiply your monthly gas bill by 105
3. Multiply your monthly oil bill by 113
4. Multiply your total yearly mileage on your car by 0.79
5. Multiply the number of flights you’ve taken in the past year (4 hours or less) by 1,100
6. Multiply the number of flights you’ve taken in the past year (4 hours or more) by 4,400
7. Add 184 if you do NOT recycle newspaper
8. Add 166 if you do NOT recycle aluminum and tin
9. Add 1-8 together for your total carbon footprint

Remember that a carbon footprint that is considered "ideal" or "low" ranges from 6,000 to 15,999 pounds annually. The average range is between 16,000 and 22,000. Under 6,000 is regarded as extremely low.

Over 22,000? Some of these "living green" techniques could be something to think about.

If your number is higher than you’d expect, don’t despair! There are a number of small sacrifices/measures you can make in order to lower your carbon footprint, such as?recycling, utilizing?below tips, or purchasing carbon offsets.

Tips to reduce your carbon footprints.

1. Stop buying your?water?in plastic.?Get a reusable water bottle and keep it filled and with you at all times. You’ll save money and the environment!

2. Incorporate walking or biking to some of your regular short-trip destinations. In most instances, you can walk a?mile in less than 20 minutes. This is a great way to add exercise to your busy schedule.

3. Turn off lights and unplug devices when you’re not using them.?Every little action adds up!

4. Keep the tires on your car properly inflated and get regular tune-ups.?When your car’s tires are low on pressure, it has to work harder to move from point A to point B, wasting gas and increasing emissions in the process.

5. Eat more food that is grown or made locally and less red meat.?Taste the difference, feel better and support the Austin economy!

6. Use the cold water cycle for washing your clothes. And do your laundry in FULL loads. This will decrease the amount of water and energy used, helping you save time and money. Bonus points for line-drying – it takes a lot of energy to power your dryer!

7. Set your thermostat to optimum temperature. And turn-off the heat and AC when you’re not home. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes in your energy bill.

8. Drive efficiently. Use the accelerator lightly, coast to red lights, stay near the speed limit, and park and go inside instead of idling your engine in a drive-thru.

9. Keep stuff out of the landfill. Sell items you no longer use to thrift shops, have a yard sale, or donate them to charity. Recycle or repurpose everything you can’t get rid of.?

10. Use alternative transportation (bus, train, carpool, or bike) to get to work one day per week. Enjoy?the chance to catch up on your reading instead of testing your patience in traffic!

11. Reduction in lifestyle footprint also helps in Carbon Footprint reduction. Few tips to follow

• Switch to Renewable Energy Sources: The six most common types of renewable energy are?solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass energy. They are a substitute for fossil fuels (e.g., coal and oil) that can reduce the effects of global warming by limiting global GHGs and other pollutants.
• Recycle: Recycling uses less energy and deposits less waste in landfills. Less manufacturing and transportation energy costs means less GHG emissions generated. Less waste in landfills means less CH4?is generated.
• Switch from?single-use to sustainable?products: Reusing products avoids?resource extraction, reduces energy use, reduces waste generation, and can prevent littering.
• Eat less meat and dairy: Meat and dairy account for?14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with beef and lamb being the most carbon-intensive. Globally, we consume much more meat than is considered sustainable, and switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet could reduce emissions.?
• Take shorter showers: Approximately?1.2 trillion gallons?of water are used each year in the United States just for showering purposes, and showering takes up about?17% of residential water usage. The amount of water consumed and the energy cost of that consumption are directly related. The less water we use the less energy we use. And the less energy we use, the less of a negative impact we have on the environment.

Simple actions really add up when everyone joins in! Deciding to take action means that you want to take care of this place we call home – making Mother Earth greener today and for many years to come.

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