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CARBON FOOTPRINTING
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Introduction
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.
Personal energy use at homes, on the road and daily activities cause emissions of GHG. One of the six recognised GHG include Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted through burning of fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil (petroleum products). Individuals can produce greenhouse gas emissions directly by using gas ( LPG) or indirectly by using electricity generated from fossil fuel burning and by using fuels in transport.
In the Pacific, per person GHG emissions can vary depending on a person’s status, habits and personal choices. For example, the types of fuel used to generate the electricity a person uses can lead to different levels of emissions. People in rural areas uses small amount of kerosene or to people living in urban or towns. The amount of time a person uses fuel or electricity is also counted towards a person emissions.
A power plant run on diesel emits more greenhouse gases per unit of electricity than a power plant that uses hydro or solar energy. How much you drive and your vehicle's fuel efficiency, as well as time spent idling in traffic, also affect the level of emissions. In addition, the amount of recycling done by a person in his or her home can affect emissions by reducing the amount of methane-generating waste sent to landfills.
Your GHG Emissions
Through actions at home, at work, and on the road, individuals can affect their greenhouse gas emissions levels. The first step in reducing your greenhouse gas emissions is to identify how much your household emits. The following personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator can help estimate your household’s annual emissions.
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Click to use Greenhouse Gas Emission Calculator |
Contributors to this page: koin
,
etuate
and
frankv
.
Page last modified on Sunday 22 of June, 2008 [21:50:26 UTC] by koin .
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