Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organization, event or product. It is not so much a "footprint" as a metaphor for human impact on the atmosphere in terms of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by human activities. (Note that while the term itself only refers to carbon, it is a measure of all the greenhouse gases.)

Sources of greenhouse gas from human activities

Numerous human activities do, or have to the potential to, release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Major sources include land clearance (and habitat destruction), transportation, energy production and usage, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.

Origins of the concept of footprint as a measure

Carbon footprint is a term borrowed from the ecological footprint measure developed by Rees and Wackernagel.

Measuring carbon footprints

Measuring a carbon footprint begins with making an inventory. The scope of the inventory is dependent on the context of what and who is being measured but you can find accounting standards created by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the the World Resources Institute that form the basis of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This Protocol is used internationally to quantify greenhouse gases and to recommend ways to manage the emissions.

In the United States, the non-profit The Climate Registry created its own protocol.

Ways to reduce your carbon footprint

As an individual, there are things you can do to reduce your individual carbon footprint, including:

Walk and cycle more often and leave the car at home.
Do not fly. An hour spent on an airplane increases your carbon footprint more than an hour spent on most other activities. People who fly frequently have among the highest personal carbon footprints on the planet.
Turn off all appliances on stand-by when not in use. You'll reduce your power bill.
Buy less stuff. Think twice as to whether or not you really need the item.
Recycle, reuse and repurpose wherever you can rather than replacing with a new object requiring new resources to create it.
Switch to compact fluorescent lights over the more energy intensive incandescent ones.
Turn down the thermostat and learn to wear a sweater or cover up with a quilt instead of using more energy to stay warm. Physical exercise is the best form of keeping warm!

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