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Carbon Footprint means measuring in units of CO2 our Personal Carbon Footprint (ie. a representation of the effect you have on the climate in terms of the total volume of greenhouse gases that one's Lifestyle Behaviour produces).  In simple terms, Carbon Footprint is a measure of the amount of CO2 one's Lifestyle Behaviour emits into the atmosphere from combusting Fossil Fuels.

The same measurement technique can measure one's employer's Carbon Footprint, but obviously it is a much larger and more dynamic task, involving extensive modelling, depending on the size of one's employer.  Large employers leave an 'Industry Carbon Footprint'.

Most human's actions generate CO2 emissions, which contribute to accelerating Global Warming/Climate Change.

By measuring one's Personal Carbon Footprint, one can get a better sense of the CO2 stain we leave from our Primary Energy Carbon Contributors from our Lifestyle Behaviour.  Whereupon one can more readily take effective action to reduce your Personal Carbon Footprint, thereby minimizing your personal impact on Climate Change.

For example, when one drives a car, each litre of petrol one burns produces CO2 emissions that are emitted into the atmosphere depending on -

(i)         the fuel efficiency of the vehicle;

(ii)        how hard it is driven;  and

(iii)       distance of the journey.

Almost everything humans do affects it: turning on a dish washer, driving a car, buying food, taking a ride on a passenger jet.

Every animal leaves a carbon footprint because it breathes in oxygen and exhales CO2 and also ejects methane which creates more caustic emissions than CO2.  Cows and horses are particularly high emitters of methane.

Australia’s Carbon Footprint is prima facie the Average Australian's Current Carbon Footprint  x  the 22 million population of Australia.

Carbon Footprint is measured in weight (tons or kilograms) or land area (hectares).  Conservative estimates are that the planet can regenerate 3.96 tonnes equating to 1.8 global hectares per person for each of its 6.642 billion inhabitants p.a.

A.         On average, each of over 300,000,000 Americans is responsible for about 22 tons of GHGs p.a., according to statistics compiled by the U.N.  BP's carbon footprint calculator notes that the U.S. average is lower at 18.58 tons per year which could fill about 4½ Olympic swimming pools.  Applying a mean of these two estimates equates to 6.2b tonnes of CO2 and other noxious gasses for the Earth's ecological atmosphere to convert back to Oxygen.

B.         According to the World Wildlife Fund, an average:

 *           U.S. citizen requires 10 hectares of the planet to support their Lifestyle Behaviour.

 *           each Australian requires 7.7 global hectares per capita.

 *           European citizen needs over five hectares.

 *           each person in Africa draws on about one hectare of Earth’s resources.

C.        The U.S.A. accounts for –

             *           5% of the global population; and

             *           26% circa of the global Carbon Footprint. 

             Europe and countries like Australia in the Asia Pacific also have very large Carbon Footprints. 

D.         Australia's Footprint in the Living Planet Report 2004 was 7.7 global hectares (gha) per person.  This is over 3 times the average global Footprint (2.2 gha), and well beyond the level of what the planet can regenerate on an annual basis - an equivalent of about 1.8 global hectares per person per year.  The most significant factor contributing to the Australian Footprint is CO2 emissions from Fossil Fuels (constituting approximately half of the total Australian Footprint).

E.         The national average Carbon Footprint for a person living in the UK is about 10 tonnes each year.  A U.S. citizen averages close to twice that at 20 tonnes, while a Ugandan’s Carbon Footprint would be some 200 times smaller at under 0.1 tonnes.

F.         The average UK resident's lifestyle produces about 11.2 tonnes of CO2 annually.

G.         The average UK carbon footprint is 9.4 Tonnes Per Person.

H.         In the UK carbon emissions come from:

  • Business activity - 40%

  • Transport - 29%

  • Homes - 25%

  The biggest carbon emissions source are probably:

  • Energy used in the home (heating is the biggest)

  • Driving

  • Air travel

The internet provides rudimentary tools to measure your Carbon Footprint which by completing them, gives you an idea of human activities which create GHGs:

EarthLab.com  ECP (Carbon & Lifestyle Calculator) allows you to factor in your lifestyle – not just your Carbon Footprint.  In addition, the ECP allows you to:

  • Save your results and track your improvements.
  • Pledge to take action and reduce your score.
  • Create a private and personal plan.

  • Instantly compare scores in your city, state, country and around the world!

 

Footprint Term Glossary provides definitions of various Climate Change terms.

Methodology and formulae to calculate a Personal Carbon Footprint and a nation's Carbon Footprint.

Breakdown of a typical person's carbon footprint

A Carbon Footprint has a primary and secondary component:

1. Primary footprint measures of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of Fossil Fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).

2. Secondary footprint measures of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use -

those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.