Step one: See just how badly I am doing.
I turned to online carbon footprint calculators. I started with this one and then this one, but I didn't have much luck because I live in an apartment and do not pay utilities, so I wasn't able to do the full calculations that request energy spending. Even so, what I was able to complete did not produce a pretty picture.
This one from Energy Star is cool because it allows you to throw in new calculations to see the impact of making small changes. Again, I couldn't get it to work because I don't know what my energy consumption is, but it seems handy.
I was able to complete this calculator from the Nature Conservancy. Boy. It hurts. Little old me in my tiny studio and compact car produces 32 tons of CO2 a year, which is 5 tons above the national average and light years above the world average.
My biggest problem is driving and flying. 62% of my footprint is from driving and flying. Funny thing is, I actually drive less than most Americans (8,000 miles a year) because I don't drive to work. Flying for business trips and vacations didn't help...but I'm not sure I can do anything about that. Home energy was next at 25%. I know I have room for improvement there.
I need to check with my building manager to see if they track energy usage per unit. I'd really like to know what my starting point is (and how I compare to other units of my size in the building). Not having to pay utilities can make people wasteful. I've been trying to be conscious all the same, but seeing the actual numbers will help me do even better, I think.
Needless to say, I have a long way to go.
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2 comments:
Love these calculators. My houshold (4 people) produces 60.4 tons annually. We've done so many of the suggested items - light bulbs, lowering the heat, recycling, etc. - it's the driving that gets us. I drive a minimum of 25 miles per day and Rus drives 20. No way around either one right now, so we'll work on the other things!
I think you can only do the things that can be done. You don't live in an area where walking and biking are easy and your husband can't change jobs...so you do what you can: carpool the kids (which you're doing), combine trips, make sure any new car purchases are eco-friendly. You work from home, so think of what you're saving there. I think it has to be practical--we focus instead first on the things that we can change. I'm the opposite...I can focus on improving the driving and biking because of where I live, but have to settle for less control over the household stuff because I live in an apartment and therefore am not allowed to change the fixtures.
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