Carbon footprints exist to show us the true impact of our actions on global warming. It can be hard to know how to be more energy smart when you do not know how much emissions you produce, or which part of your day to day life contributes the most. One of the most important results of understanding your impact on the environment, is taking that knowledge and using it to reduce your impact by focussing on the parts of your life that produce the highest emissions.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the sum total of the amount of carbon dioxide that is released due to a specific person, organisation or larger group’s activities. Our everyday actions, from driving to work to turning on the heating on a cold day, have an effect on the environment, and the term ‘carbon footprint’ is an easy way to express the sum of these emissions over a period of time. Carbon footprints can be used to measure emissions not only for individuals, but for manufactured items, countries and even animals.

A carbon footprint mainly comprises of energy used for heating your home, electronics and appliance use, day to day transport, and frequency of flying [1]. However, a variety of other variables should also be taken into account, such as pets, recycling habits and diet.

What about other greenhouse gases?

Carbon dioxide is not the only gas that contributes to global warming, but for most individuals it is the most important gas. However, other greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and ozone can be taken into account and measured in the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that would have the same impact in terms of global warming. Expressing other gases in terms of CO₂e makes calculations far less confusing, and allows more potent gases such as methane to be included in emissions totals.

Direct or indirect emissions?

Most of our individual emissions are indirect. When we turn on our heating, or leave the television on, electricity or gas comes from a power station, and this is where the fuel is burnt and released into the atmosphere. At present, the majority of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, which release a variety of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

How do I calculate my carbon footprint?

For most of us, the thought of sitting down and calculating our yearly emissions is impossible. While working out direct emissions such as petrol consumption is more straight forward, indirect emissions are more tricky. However, there are now online tools which allow you to input a range of information, and work out your approximate carbon footprint.

• Act on CO₂ is a DirectGov calculator, which asks questions about your home, appliance use and travel habits, before providing you with your result and allowing you to compare with other people [2].
• Cool the World provide a fun and informative online calculator for kids, and provides tips to reduce emissions in an easy to understand way [3].
• WWF provide a calculator which also takes food into account, and other factors such as pets and recycling. Your result is displayed as both carbon emissions per annum, and the total number of planets that would be needed to support your lifestyle [4].

What do I do now?

Working out your carbon footprint is one thing, but knowing what to do with your results is another. Most online calculators will break down your emissions into sections, such as home, travel and diet. By looking at where you are most emissions-heavy, you can then start to plan ways to reduce your emissions. If travel is your worst area, consider your mode of transportation: could you be walking or taking public transport instead of driving? If your home produces the most emissions, a move to more energy efficient appliances could be a simple way to cut your carbon footprint.

The first step in reducing your carbon footprint is knowing where your emissions come from, and once you have that information, there are a wealth of websites, books, films and other media which provide tips and tricks to be more energy and resource smart. Whatever your budget or situation, being more environmentally friendly has never been easier.

With Energy Saving Warehouse we have all the tools you need to become more environmentally friendly and hopefully take a small step in reducing your carbon footprint.

References

[1] Energy Saving Trust. Reduce your carbon footprint. 2013. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Take-action/Reduce-your-carbon-footprint

[2] DirectGov. Carbon Calculator. 2013. http://carboncalculator.direct.gov.uk/index.html

[3] Cool the World. Kids Carbon Footprint Calculator. 2013. http://www.cooltheworld.com/kidscarboncalculator.php

[4] WWF. WWF Footprint Calculator. 2013. http://footprint.wwf.org.uk