My Carbon

Footprint

By

JB Hendrix
Pre-AP Physics
Quackenbush

CARBON FOOTPRINT
Carbon footprint refers to the amount of greenhouse gases used to support human
activity, which is typically measured in tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2).1 Your carbon
footprint takes into account all of your activities which required energy to do; watching
television, driving, and even sleeping all account towards your carbon footprint. The
reason for this is that fossil fuels, our main source of electricity, emit greenhouse gases
when burned to produce electricity. It is an important metric for environmental protection
because it measures the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere
per person in order to track global warming.

SUMMARY OF MY ENERGY USAGE

I tracked my familys use of electrical appliances and other commodities such as air
conditioning which are powered by electricity. In order to do so, I noted which appliances
were used and for how long, then calculated the estimated amount of energy used. To my
surprise, the water heater used more energy than all of our appliances and lighting
combined, and nearly doubled the amount of energy used than the air conditioner. Living
in Texas, I thought that the air conditioning would account for the most amount of
electricity used, followed by appliances and lighting, with water heating bringing up the
rear.

Average Energy Usage for Hendrix

Family (6/1/2015)

Electric Air
Conditioning
25%

Water Heating
44%
Appliances and
Lighting
31%

According to the United States Energy Information Administration, American households

use on average 10,908 kWh annually.2 Based off of this information, my family uses four
times the amount of energy of other American households (however I question the
validity of this claim). Space heating accounts for the most amount of energy used in the
average American household, however living in Texas during the summer I was unable to
measure the amount of energy we use to heat our home due to the already sweltering heat

outside. Compared to other families, water heating ranks as the third largest energy
consumer while it is the top for my family. However, the percentage of total energy used
by appliances and lighting as well as air conditioning matches up similarly compared to
the average American household. Perhaps any discrepancy in water heating can be
attributed to the lack of a space heater in my calculations.

CALCULATING MY FOOTPRINT
Using the data collected on Monday, June 1st, I estimated the total amount of energy used
in my household through the use of a cheat sheet that was provided. I multiplied the
number of hours actually used per appliance with the amount of energy needed to run that
appliance per hour to find the amount of energy used by said appliance per day; then this
number would be used to find the amount of energy needed to run that appliance per
week and per year. Once the energy used for each appliance was estimated, I added them
together to find the total amount of energy used per year (43,790.19 kWh). I then
calculated how many pounds of CO2 and carbon would be emitted into the atmosphere
just by my familys household per year.
43790.19

2.095 2
= 91740.45 2
1

91740.45 2

12
= 25020.01
44 2

REDUCING OUR FOOTPRINT

Many organizations have formed with the basis of educating the public about reducing
their carbon footprint. Government agencies and non-profit organizations have agreed on
several ways to reduce our carbon footprint from our homes; the first of which is to just
maintain the home. Having a well-insulated home not only makes it more comfortable to
live in, but also prevents air conditioning to leak from the home, as well as keeping in
warm air during the winter and cool air during the winter, resulting in less energy used in
maintaining the homes temperature.3 Another large contributor to energy consumption in
homes that is a fairly simple fix are inefficient light bulbs. Switching traditional round
bulbs to fluorescent lighting saves two-thirds of the energy used by incandescent lights,
and saves up to $40 throughout each bulbs lifetime.4
Another recommended method of saving energy is simply turning off the lights when you
leave the house, turn off the sink while you are brushing your teeth, and taking shorter
showers.5 Alternate energy is one other way; solar power is quickly becoming available
for private use on homes.4 Solar power is a revolutionary of harvesting energy from the
suns rays, and is one of the most efficient sources of alternate energy. Houses located in
geographical areas which are prone to sunlight who take advantage of installing solar
panels see a reduction in their utility bill as well as their carbon footprint.

OFFSETTING OUR FOOTPRINT

While it is good to reduce your effect on the environment, there still needs to be methods
of recovery for the environment to offset the damage done in recent years by people.
While there are many forms of pollution, the most damaging as of now is air pollution: a
direct result of our increasing need for energy and as a consequence burning more fossil
fuels. Doubled with deforestation, air pollution is becoming more and more threatening
towards the earth as a whole, accelerating the phenomena of the natural shift in the
earths environment causing what we call climate change or global warming.
Despite many complicated theories as to offset the effects of climate change, many
organizations have agreed that the easiest way for individuals to lend a hand is by
planting a tree.6 With the reduction of trees in rainforests, it may be essential for
communities to support tree planting campaigns in neighborhoods. Trees not only
contribute to restoring the environment and creating fresher, clearer air, they also beautify
otherwise dull and ugly streets, sidewalks, and cities. Parks are another great way for
cities to offset their air pollution while simultaneously creating a fun place for its citizens.
Other ways to help clean up the environment is participating in local beautifying
organizations. The Keep Austin Beautiful movement cleans up litter that not only makes
the city a better place to live, but also keeps the wildlife and the environment healthier,
while the Adopt a Highway program allows communities, schools, businesses, and other
organizations take responsibility for their roads (where most litter originates).
Intercepting trash before it makes it to the ocean or other water sources keeps the world
healthy and a better place to live.

CONCLUSION
While it is impossible to not have a carbon footprint in todays society, people are
becoming more environmentally conscious to create a better world to live in. Families,
businesses, and schools all contribute to the growing problem of air pollution through the
use of electrical appliances and other commodities. However, the introduction of
alternative energy sources hold the potential to take away the domination of fossil fuels
as our primary source of fuel, while better lifestyles are paving the way for improvements
in the environment. In addition, new organizations and government organized programs
are contributing to a more positive impact on the environment. It is important to realize
that the earth is our home, and it is our duty to protect it and keep it clean for as long as
we can.

WORKS CITED
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

"What Is a Carbon Footprint." Time for Change. Timeforchange.org,

n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent
Statistics and Analysis." Residential Energy Consumption Survey
(RECS). U.S. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.
"25+ Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." COTAPorg Carbon
Offsets To Alleviate Poverty. COTAP, n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.
"How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." Carbonfund.org.
Carbonfund.org Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.
"Carbon Footprint Reduction." Carbon Footprint. Carbon Footprint
Ltd, n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.
"Millipore Works to Reduce Its Carbon Footprint." Membrane
Technology2008.8 (2008): 7. Biofuel.tamu.edu. Texas A%M
University. Web. 3 June 2015.