Understanding Your Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. While industrial activity accounts for the majority of global emissions, individual choices in transport and energy consumption still play a vital role.
How We Calculate CO2e
We use standard emission factors provided by environmental agencies (like the EPA and IPCC) to convert your daily activities into Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e). CO2e is a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential.
- Electricity: ~0.85 to 1.5 lbs of CO2e per kWh (varies wildly by local grid).
- Gasoline: ~19.6 lbs of CO2e per gallon burned.
- Air Travel: Varies by flight distance, but long-haul flights emit less CO2e per mile than short-haul flights due to the high fuel consumption of takeoff.
Offsetting Your Impact
Once you know your footprint, you can take steps to reduce it (e.g., carpooling, switching to renewable energy tariffs) or offset it. Offsetting involves funding projects that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as reforestation or renewable energy development.