Carbon Footprint, Essay Example

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

Complete the carbon footprint analysis at www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html.

Be sure your result is in tons of carbon dioxide rather than pounds. If your answer is in pounds, divide by 2000 pounds/ton. Record your footprint value in the space below.

My household carbon footprint came out to be 35,437 lbs or about 17.72 tons of CO₂ per year. This turns out to be 11,812 lbs or about 5.91 tons of CO₂ per person. I am satisfied with the outcome because the average carbon footprint for a household of three people in the United States is 62,250 lbs or about 31.13 tons of CO₂ per year.  

Action Plan

List three specific things you can change immediately to decrease your carbon footprint. You may find many suggestions at the websites listed in your Readings sections for this week.

My first plan is to reduce the number the distance I drive my car by about 50 miles per week. This will help me not only save about $416 in fuel costs assuming each mile costs about 16 cents but also reduce my carbon footprint by 1,517 lbs or about 0.76 tons of CO₂ per year. My second plan is to turn down heating thermostat by 10 degrees Fahrenheit on winter nights. This option will result in electricity bill savings of approximately $71 assuming average cost per kWh of electricity is $0.1059 and reduction in carbon footprint of 474 lbs or about 0.24 tons of CO₂ per year. My third plan is to replace ten 75-watt incandescent light bulbs with 20-watt energy-star light bulbs. Assuming that each light bulb is on for four hours per day and average cost per kWh of electricity at $0.1059, this will yield cost savings of $70 as well as carbon footprint reduction of 564 lbs or about 0.28 tons of CO₂ per year. Together these three plans will generate cost savings of $557 and carbon footprint reduction of about 1.28 tons of CO₂ per year. This 1.28 tons of CO₂ per year represents an improvement of about 7.22% over the original carbon footprint of my household.