How to calculate your carbon footprint

[MindMover]

When you look at environmental issues on a large scale, they may seem impossible to tackle. It's a global matter that needs to be addressed by government, corporations and individuals alike.

One person, big impact

Yet, bit by bit, you contribute to air quality issues, waste build-up and water shortages every single day by driving, forgetting to recycle and taking long, hot showers. There are ways to reduce your greenhouse gas output, otherwise known as your carbon footprint, but first you have to know how big an impact you're making. Here's how to know just how deep of a footprint you provide.

Use a carbon footprint calculator

There are plenty of carbon footprint calculators available online, including nature.org, footprintnetwork.org, epa.gov and more. Any of these sites will ask detailed questions about your annual output, so be prepared by having a year's worth of power bills at hand. They will also ask you about your travel habits, from city bus to jet airliner. Try to answer to the best of your ability. While these calculators don't always provide a deeply accurate reading of your carbon footprint, you'll gather a general idea of how much CO2 you let into the atmosphere each year.

http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/951899/how-to-calculate-your-carbon-footprint


http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/


http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm


http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

[gateley]

1. I'm almost afraid to. nt

[Gregorian]

2. Americans have the equivalent of 100 slaves working for them 12 hours per day.

That is the carbon footprint of the average American.

The number one way to lower your carbon footprint is to not have children.

[Johnny Rico]

3. According to www.myfootprint.org, I need 9.41 Earths to support me.

[Gregorian]

4. 4.4 here. But I could easily be much better. I just live in a place where I won't ride my bike.

[saras]

5. 2.3 for real, 2.0 desired world goal, not counting any enviro work or past history

According to these calculators, it's a far more efficient use of my time to try to get big energy users to cut their use than it is to try to cut my own use farther, or even worry about it significantly.

Which is what I've been saying since the mid-seventies, when I made most of the lifestyle changes involved. And none of the changes require a middle-class income.