5th March 2024
If we wish, we can calculate our individual – or household – carbon footprint. Various groups offer online carbon footprint calculators. Some are very quick to work through but are more rough and ready. More complex calculations will be more precise. We can use this information to identify areas of our lifestyle where we could make adjustments to achieve a more sustainable life style.
Suggested carbon footprint calculators:
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
Generally our carbon footprint is proportionate to our income. Of course it does depend what we buy. Spending £1000 on air travel will have a far higher carbon footprint that spending £1000 on planting a small woodland. Mike Berners Lee has produced a book, “How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything.” This details the carbon footprint of a wide range of products and activities and can thus help us choose less carbon-costly lifestyles.
A report produced by the Guardian in conjunction with Oxfam, the Stockholm Environment Institute and others, reported that “The richest 1% of humanity is responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%, with dire consequences for vulnerable communities and global efforts to tackle the climate emergency.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/20/richest-1-account-for-more-carbon-emissions-than-poorest-66-report-says?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Further articles –
The Green Tau 