How to Track a Carbon Footprint
A "carbon footprint" is defined by the Carbon Trust web site as a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by a person, organization event or product. There are two primary types of carbon footprints: organizational carbon footprints that result from activities related to an organization, including buildings, processes and company vehicles, and product carbon footprints that are emissions from the entire life cycle of a product or service, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, consumption, recycling or disposal. Carbon footprints are measured by the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment. Those gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's) perfluorocarbons (PFC's) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
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Instructions
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Add up you monthly electricity, water and gas utility bills. Many utility company monthly bills include graphs charting your usage for the current month and compare usage to the same month a year earlier. This is a good tool to see if your reduction strategies are having any affect.
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Record how far you drive for work and leisure activities on a monthly basis. Add in travel by air, train and any other mode you may use during the course of the year. Over time, an average will start to emerge, providing a starting point for your reduction goals.
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Use a online carbon calculator like the SafeClimate footprint calculator. When you input the information you have collected, the calculator gives you an indication of your impact on the environment as well as the impact generated by your household.
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Tips & Warnings
A number of carbon calculators are available on-line. Most are free to use, and they will store and track your results.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit footprint 6 image by Dwight Davis from Fotolia.com
