Measure and Offset Your Carbon Footprint With the New Online Tool
Climate change is scary, especially when stories of our planet ‘s dire future go hand in hand with news that our federal government is not going to do about it . American mayors, governors, and even corporations are heavily involved in this process , but there is a lot you can do as an individual to reduce and offset your own environmental impact – if you know what it is.
Fast Company reports that the non-profit Conservation International has released a new online tool to measure your carbon footprint. Spend a few minutes answering the questions – the size of the house, how often you drive, how many trips you take per year – and you can measure the tonnes of carbon produced per year from your daily activity, event, or trip. This isn’t the first online carbon calculator, but it does include new research on diet, as well as advances such as plug-in hybrids and electric cars, to give you an accurate figure and, crucially, options for what to do .
Climate information without an action plan can end up being fearsome. Knowledge is power only if you act on it. When the Conservation International calculator tells you your carbon footprint, you are also given a dollar amount to offset it. Carbon Offsetting allows you to offset your carbon emissions by donating to a project that cuts emissions elsewhere in the world (often in a developing country).
Conservation International’s carbon offset program uses the money to protect carbon-sinking forests, protect biodiversity, and support indigenous communities. The calculator also suggests lifestyle changes that can reduce your carbon footprint, such as using public transportation , turning off the thermostat, and flying direct. (I fully support any argument against transplantation .)
While systemic change – at the level of governments and large corporations – is critical to tackling climate change, individual action can have an important impact, and it is something you can do right now . Last week, The Atlantic wrote about a study that showed that if all Americans replaced beef in their diets with beans – not even all meat, just beef! – we would be 46 to 74 percent of the path towards US emissions in 2020. goals .
But if a legume lifestyle isn’t for you, or if you want to erase your carbon footprint rather than just reduce it, carbon offset can help you protect forests , support energy efficiency, or fund clean air and water . You will help make the world a healthier and greener place for our bean-eating grandchildren.