Carbon Calculator to Carbon Offset

One Stop Shopping: Carbon Calculator to Carbon Offset

Tired of hear about greenhouse gases and emissions? By now you have probably heard about the link between carbon emissions and global warming. Fortunately and possibly unfortunately, depending on which side of the issue you fall, conversations around greenhouse gas and carbon emissions are becoming more mainstream. Not only are individuals starting to take ownership of their carbon footprint but also businesses are starting to take ownership of their carbon footprint to.

 The EPA states that global emission trends have been on the rise and have increased over 16 times since the early 1900’s which puts the US falling slightly behind China with 19% of the global total CO₂ emissions. It averages to about 17.3 metric tons per capita. The result is carbon emission regulation policies are becoming more impactful and the EPA has even proposed a Carbon Pollution Standard for new power plants. Once these regulations pass, there will be the inevitable trickle down to regulations that effect everyday citizens and the choices we make each day. This is just one example of on-going trends to create cleaner and safer practices by reducing company’s carbon emissions and pollution. 

How do greenhouse gas emissions relate to you? Our individual carbon footprint is caused by the emissions we create through our everyday actions. Actions can include:

• Land- How much land you own and forestry practices
• Buying habits- Where your products are coming from and how they are made
• Utilities- How much you use
• Food choices- Farm practices and the distance food travels
• Transportation choices- Driving, carpooling, flights, public transportation etc…

These actions are all linked to the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels. For example, one acre of forest would counter emissions of approximately 2.7 cars and 223 trees would counter emissions created by a child watching 3 hours of TV every day for 18 years.

How does one go about discovering their individual carbon footprint?  The good news is that it is getting easier and easier to find out this information. Using a carbon calculator is a great way to quickly and easily determine your overall impact and find out which areas of your life offer the easiest CO₂ savings. 

Not sure that your effort will really make a difference? Not true! According to the EPA, recycling just 10 aluminum cans saves enough energy to power 1.7 hours of an air conditioner! Recycling only 38 magazines saves enough energy to power 10.6 hours of a computer laptop. If you want to take responsibility for the greenhouse gases you emit, start by analyzing the big carbon offenders i.e. utilities and travel. 

Instead of calculating your emissions and then trying to find a credible carbon offsetting project, here are steps for a one stop shop:

Step 1: Look at a one year timeline:

• Gather your utility bills
• Estimate miles driven
• Find the number of round trip flights you have taken

Step 2: Figure out your average utility bill for the year and approximate hours for each of your flights. 

Step 3: Enter this information into the *MBCF calculator or a calculator of your choice. 

Step 4: Hit the calculate button. This number represents the total number of your carbon emissions for one year. 

Step 5: Decide if you want to offset (subtract) your carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits. 

Step 6: If you decide to make a purchase, click the “Buy Now” button, it will take you directly to your PayPal account where you can complete your purchase. 

* Why choose the MBCF calculator? All proceeds go directly to local projects that reduce carbon emissions in the Monterey, CA area. All MBCF projects offer student job training and are creating real jobs locally. If you want additional information, please click on any of the resources below. 

References:

David Suzuki Foundation: http://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/reduce-your-carbon-footprint/go-carbon-neutral/

The Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/12/03/global-emissions-carbon-dioxide-hit-record-high/21tbuKCZkWTGrsP5CVDNYM/story.html

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html, http://epa.gov/carbonpollutionstandard/pdfs/20120327factsheet.pdf, http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/rrr/

 

Carbon Footprint and Packaging

By Jennipher Murphy, Novice Explorer

Carbon offsets and carbon footprints sound scientific and technical so it might be hard for some people to embrace and become connected to this cause. But it doesn’t have to be difficult. I did a little research to find other ways we can make a difference, be connected and have a greater impact. I came across the term, “life-cycle” and “life-cycle sustainability standards” which were new terms for me and refers to the environmental impact of a product through the product’s life cycle; beginning to end. This seems to be critical to the overall success of carbon offsetting because 31.6% of our waste is comprised of containers and packaging. This waste comes from our need to have individual product packaging, products to be delivered safely to our homes and sometimes for our merchandising needs. Other statistics I found around packaging:

• Our landfills contain thirty percent paperboard—American Chemistry
• Over 6.4 billion cardboard boxes were used to ship items via ground or air in 2007 alone—Rapioli 
• Of the 66 million tons of solid waste generated by Californians each year, approximately    one third is packaging—California Integrated Waste Management Board
• 38 billion water bottles enter U.S. landfills every year—Fast Company 

How does this translate to carbon footprints? How do we distinguish between “green” and “eco-friendly” labels? As consumers, we need to begin to demand more transparency and accountability from our manufacturers and more detailed labeling. The more we demand, the more manufacturers will be forced to make changes to meet those demands. A datamonitor survey shows that in the U.S. 67% of people are concerned about heavy packaging and 33% of people would choose another product because of this packaging. This changing viewpoint increases the demand for sustainable packaging and empowers the consumer.

Sustainable packaging does seem critical to making a positive change and making better choices is something we can do to help offset our carbon emissions. For example, we can steer away from the heavily packaged items and buy more in bulk or buy locally to minimize shipping costs, but ultimately, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to provide consumers with better choices. A good example of a sustainable packaging initiative is from Sunlyte. They are using a three prong approach: energy efficient design, streamlined distribution, and carbon neutral delivery.

Becoming more aware of our purchases and how the packaging is affecting our planet is a good step towards a more sustainable future. Feel like you want to go all out? Check out the interesting and often scary info in The Big List of Things That Suck.