Word: footprinters
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Though it may help me "feel effective," reducing my own carbon footprint is a little like a white American in 1963 pledging personally not to discriminate against an African American [May 26]. Now as then, we need tough national laws putting everyone on the same (green) playing field--and international agreements, as well. We must prove not just our individual virtue but also our collective courage and political will. (The Rev.) Fred Small, LITTLETON, MASS...
...Americans grow more green-minded, more of them want to approach environmentalism in concrete terms. Thanks to websites like Carbonrally, one increasingly popular way to do so is by measuring and measurably reducing our carbon footprints--the greenhouse gases we're responsible for emitting. The more dependent we are on fossil fuels, the bigger our carbon footprints; unsurprisingly, Americans, who are responsible for more than 20 tons of CO2 per capita annually, have some of the biggest feet in the world. How big? A recent study by a class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that even a homeless...
...costs. Others are less clear but still significant. Take your diet: livestock are responsible for an estimated 18% of global carbon emissions, so when you chow down a hamburger, you're effectively emitting CO2 as well. Even something as small as an iPod Nano will add to your carbon footprint, thanks to both the energy used to produce and ship it and the energy later needed to charge it (68 lbs. of CO2 over its lifetime, according to the British design consultancy...
...course, carbon is such a universal ingredient of modern life that it's impossible to measure exactly how big your individual footprint is. But you can get a decent estimate at a number of websites. One of the best is run by the Nature Conservancy, which leads you through a detailed questionnaire on your home energy use, driving, flying and diet. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a carbon calculator that not only sizes up your footprint but also allows you to see how changing your behavior--like driving less--can reduce your impact. No two carbon calculators...
...useful start. A recent contest involved giving up meat for two days, which would reduce carbon emissions by 13.2 lbs. Another called on competitors to unplug their computers every night for one month, which cuts CO2 by 51 lbs. Each contest illustrates a basic way to shrink your footprint: remove meat from your diet, drive or fly less and just reduce the amount of power you use at home whenever possible, either through conservation or with appliances that are more energy-efficient. Winners get small prizes like tote bags--and green bragging rights. (Those who want to go the extra...