Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop to under 2 tons by 2050. Lowering individual carbon footprints from 16 tons to 2 tons doesn’t happen overnight! By making small changes to our actions, like eating less meat, taking fewer connecting flights and line drying our clothes, we can start making a big difference. The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google © 2023 The Nature Conservancy | | | | |

As the public conversation about climate change gets increasingly serious, many Americans may be wondering: How do my individual choices affect climate change? Household consumption – food, housing, transportation, apparel and other personal services – is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Everything you eat or wear, or every time you drive, you add to the global total emissions. The typical American’s 1. Some activities have a bigger impact We looked at data from 1995 to 2014 from the We found that over 20% of all U.S. emissions are directly attributed to household consumption. If you consider indirect emissions, this figure is closer to 80%. Let’s zoom in on the latest available annual numbers, mostly from 2009, which give a better sense of these staggering impacts. U.S. households generate 5.43 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions every year. About 82.3% of those emissions are produced domestically. The remaining emissions are generated outside the U.S. These emissions come from global supply chains. For instance, the family car might have been manufactured abroad. So emissions from manufacturing of the car are created outside the U.S., but the emissions from tailpipe are domestic. Transportation and housing account for more than half of all U.S. household emissions, both at home and overseas. Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Transportation and housing contribute over 60% to the total domestic carbon footprint of U.S. households. S...

Hundreds of corporate Amazon workers upset about the company’s environmental impact, recent layoffs and a return-to-office mandate protested at its Seattle headquarters carbon footprint, amount of 2) emissions associated with all the activities of a person or other The carbon footprint concept is related to and grew out of the older idea of 2 or CO 2 equivalent per year. Carbon footprint calculation Carbon footprints are different from a country’s reported per capita emissions (for example, those reported under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Rather than the greenhouse gas emissions associated with production, carbon footprints focus on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with The per capita carbon footprint is highest in the 2 equivalent, some five to seven times the global average. Averages vary greatly around the world, with higher footprints generally found in residents of developed countries. For example, that same year 2 equivalent, respectively. In “primary” carbon footprint, representing the emissions over which an individual has direct control. The remainder of an individual’s carbon footprint is called the “secondary” carbon footprint, representing carbon emissions associated with the 2 or CO 2 equivalent emitted during the manufacture of the bottle itself plus the amount emitted during the transportation of the bottle to the consumer. A variety of different tools exist for calculating the carbon footprints for individuals, busines...

Climate change can be overwhelming. The science is complex, and when it comes to future impacts, there are still a lot of unknowns. While real solutions will require action on a global scale, there are choices you can make in your day-to-day life to lessen your personal impact on the environment. This guide will walk you through some of them. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the production, use and end-of-life of a product or service. It includes carbon dioxide — the gas most commonly emitted by humans — and others, including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. Usually, the bulk of an individual’s carbon footprint will come from transportation, housing and food. You can start the process by calculating your carbon footprint here. You will need to know the following: • Approximately how many miles you travel by car, bus, train and plane. • The energy usage in your home. • How much you spend shopping. • The composition of your diet. No matter how you scored, here are some things that could help you lessen your personal environmental impact. In November 2017 carbon dioxide emissions from transportation surpassed emissions from electricity generation as the top source of greenhouse gases.Why? Electricity generation is shifting away from the use of coal to more renewable sources and natural gas. Going carless for a year could save about 2.6 tons of carbon dioxi...