Carbon footprints are something I have become increasingly aware of in the last 5 years or so. I'm not obsessive to the point of being annoying, but I do try to reduce my footprint wherever possible, just by doing little things like using less energy and making use of public transportation. Many people don't realize it, but if everyone does just a little bit, it can make a huge difference. The United States currently has the highest carbon footprint of any country in the world, which seems ridiculous considering its population.
A group of professors and students at UC-Berkeley have put together a carbon footprint calculator for US households. By assessing each aspect of your household, from the mileage of your car to the amount of money you spend on electricity and gas in your home, you can see how large your footprint is as compared to other households of comparable size and income. Once you have your results, you can choose which actions you want to commit to in order to reduce your overall footprint.
It is obviously difficult for me to fill it out at the moment considering I am still in Bangalore [but only for another 10 days! I really should be packing/cleaning...], but once I get back to the States and get a bit settled, I'm going to see if I can do it for my parents. I think they will be good guinea pigs for me, because even though they probably have no idea what a carbon footprint is, they will hopefully be open to what I find out. We'll see. In the meantime, what is your carbon footprint?
xx
A group of professors and students at UC-Berkeley have put together a carbon footprint calculator for US households. By assessing each aspect of your household, from the mileage of your car to the amount of money you spend on electricity and gas in your home, you can see how large your footprint is as compared to other households of comparable size and income. Once you have your results, you can choose which actions you want to commit to in order to reduce your overall footprint.
It is obviously difficult for me to fill it out at the moment considering I am still in Bangalore [but only for another 10 days! I really should be packing/cleaning...], but once I get back to the States and get a bit settled, I'm going to see if I can do it for my parents. I think they will be good guinea pigs for me, because even though they probably have no idea what a carbon footprint is, they will hopefully be open to what I find out. We'll see. In the meantime, what is your carbon footprint?
xx
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