Calculate your carbon footprint

[clark]

I added a new link to the website - How to calculate your carbon footprint (http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/).   I calculated mine and I am responsible for the emission of about 4 tons of C02 per year.  This is down from 11 tons last year.  The national average is about 7.5.  My reduction came almost entirely from switching my energy provider and buying a hybrid car. 

 

Clark  

[Barry]

FWIW The EPA has a bit more detailed CO2 calculator as well as a
little work sheet so you can see what kind of effect you will have if
you change light bulbs, turn down the heat and that sort of thing.

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

-=Barry=-

[Semmes Clark]

Thanks Barry! I will change the website to link to this site instead.
I think it is better.

Clark

[Peter Griffith]

One small point: Clark has reduced his carbon footprint by purchasing a more fuel-efficient car and not driving extra miles.  Good!

But unfortunately the "Hybrid car" has already been hijacked as a green marketing term by the manufacturers (including Toyota) so that it is now as misleading as the "low-fat cookie" with 500 calories.  Lexus and Ford luxury cars and SUV's are among the offenders.

A Prius is good, but for many driving patterns, no better than a Honda Fit, to name one of many alternatives.  And a Prius emits more fossil CO2 than a VW Golf diesel burning diesel fuel blended with 50% recycled vegetable oil.

My overly-pedantic point: Hybrid is not synonymous with fuel efficient, nor is it the only or best way to reduce automotive CO2 emissions!  

Cheers,

Peter

[Semmes Clark]

I agree completely.  The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid gets 21 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway yet somehow was named "Green Car of the Year".  The mind boggles. 

 

Of course, the best way to reduce emissions is to not drive at all. 

---

From: mount-washing...@googlegroups.com [mailto:mount-washing...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Peter Griffith
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 10:40 AM
To: mount-washing...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: Calculate your carbon footprint

[Barry]

A friend of mine once commented that two people in a Hummer is in the
same league a single occupancy Prius. By carpooling you essentially
double your gas mileage. There are logistics problems in trying to
carpool to work but what about carpooling to shop?

50% of all car trips are 5 miles or less. It is reducing these short
trips by single occupancy cars that can have a significant positive
impact on green house gasses, pollution and congestion.

And if you have not seen the CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge yet it is a
real eye opener.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz3zMzVdlX8

And keeping with my shopping theme, a kid trailer for a bike is about
$100-$160 from one of the chain stores. They can hold about a half a
cart of groceries and fold up for easy storage. Not to mention
motorist give you tons of respect when you are pulling one of these.

-=Barry=-

PS. I hope you don't mind but I posted a condensed version of this
conversation on my site:
http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20071127150934325

Email me off list if you would like to see some corrections.