COMPUTING CARBON FOOTPRINT
Environment is relatively very essential to us all; today, yesterday and especially tomorrow. Whether we like it or not we all have responsibilities towards it, specifically in its preservation. The kind of environment that we will produce will be the one that the next generations can inherit. We know for a fact that environmental crisis is now starting to eat up our world and this
is definitely caused by its destructive human beings. This is the reason why it has been emphasized to find out the part of individuals and industries in global warming. This action is presented by calculating the quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) that they generate which is their ‘carbon footprint’.
One of the chief greenhouse gases is the CO2 and its presence in the atmosphere adds up to the atrocious global warming. Through the calculation of its emissions, individuals can make clever choices in their consumption routines to lessen their share. Likewise, organizations can also compute their emissions as an output of its operations and procure steps in reducing it by taking suitable actions such as going ‘green’, reinstating equipments and machines and purchasing or utilizing only efficient, proficient and environment-friendly apparatus and inventories.
Calculation on carbon footprint is not limited to corporations and individuals only. Procedures, products, goods and even states can also be assessed for their production and share of the amount of greenhouse gases. Performing internet search operation is a kind of an event based emission calculation. Notwithstanding the methodology of computation and quantity of emission, still the findings brought up the awareness on technology’s impact on the environment.
Online calculators of carbon footprint are accessible over the internet which explains aspects on how individuals and corporations are able to calculate their footprint in terms of loads of equivalent CO2 emitted annually. Below are some factors in which these carbon footprint calculators’ takes into considerations:
1. Accommodation type and its specific number of occupants
2. Instruments positioning to control cooling and heating
3. Kinds of illumination installed. Fluorescent are more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly than the incandescent and halogen ones.
4. Type of wadding applied over windows, doors and water reservoirs that are prone to cooling and heating impacts.
5. Pattern on public transportation usage, car choices, habits while driving and regularity of travel via air plane.
6. Recreation modes. Biking is one of the most environment-friendly types of activity. However, activities during holiday seasons can result into CO2 emissions for as high as 650 kg per individual.
7. Recycled material usage; product packaging choices
Basing on this estimate carbon footprint estimate, individuals and organizations can come up with tactics in reducing the emissions as a corporate initiative or goal. These strategies might include changing practices, equipment replacement, training and educating staff and most importantly involving the society in the initiative.
There are numerous online tools that are made available for the calculation of carbon footprints. Feel free to visit the sites such as Stopglobalwarming.org, Carboncalculator.com, Safeclimate.net, Conservation.org, Nature.org and Carbonfootprint.com.