How to Estimate Carbon Credits
Everyone has a carbon footprint. It is the measurement of an individual's impact on the planet's resources. Footprints can be reduced by making lifestyle changes such as riding a bike or recycling. When making a change isn't possible, carbon credits are the answer. Carbon credits offset an individual's impact on the planet. Assessing the amount of carbon credit to purchase is a matter of breaking down sources of impact.
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Instructions
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Begin by gathering all your household fuel bills. This includes electric bills, natural gas bill, and fuel oil bill. Have a notepad and pen as well as a calculator ready.
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Determine the amount you spend annually on electric, natural gas, fuel oil and propane. Compile these figures in your notepad. Be sure to make a note of the dollar amount of any "green" energy sources you utilize (solar, hydro electric or wind power).
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Record the number of vehicles in your household as well as the number of miles driven on each vehicle over the last year. Be sure to write down the fuel economy rating of each vehicle. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates an average of 20.4 miles to the gallon for the average car.
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Make a note of any item that you recycle every day or week in your home. Be sure to include glass, paper, beverage cans and plastic. You don't have to recycle all of these items to include it in your calculation. But if you recycle any of them you should record it.
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Enter all of the information you have written down in your notebook into one of the many online carbon footprint calculators. The one offered by the EPA is the most comprehensive. This will give you your annual carbon emissions.
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Visit a website that offers carbon credits to begin offsetting your carbon footprint. The site may have you go through your carbon calculations again and they may vary slightly from the EPA estimates. It is up to you which you use for purchasing your carbon offsets.
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Realize that for every item you recycle and for every time you reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, you get a positive reduction in your carbon footprint. These are used to balance the negatives. What is left is the amount of carbon credits you should buy. Carbon credits are used to plant trees and sustain other save-the-planet programs.
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