Personal Carbon Footprint

Abdil Halimis Stani, ST

Center of Environmental Technology, BPPT

Abstract

Carbon dioxide is relatevely transparen to shortwave UV light from the sun. However, it absorb and
emit longwave radiation at wavelengths typical of the earth and atmosphere. Hence, CO2 acts much
like the glass on a green house. It lets in shortwave radiation from the sun that heats the ground
surface, but it restrict the loss of heat by radiation from the ground surface. The more CO2 in the
atmosphere, the more effective it is in restricting the out flow of radiation energy. The problem is, the
greatly increased the amount of green houses gases such as CO2, methane and nitrous oxide in the
atmosphere-mostly by burning things, like forest and fossil fuel. Before the industrial revolution, there
were 280 part per milllion of CO2 in atmosphere. Today CO2 is 380 ppm. Just to keep green houses
gases at their present level will require slashing our emission by 60 %. Everyone is part of the
problem. Everyone contribution is needed. Everyone can share of small steps- around the house,
office and neighboorhood.- because little things multiplied by the million add up, just as surely as
individual CO2 molecules add up. A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have
on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of
carbon dioxide". It is meant to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their
personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming

Key Word : Carbondioxide, footprint, emission

I. Introduction

Air pollution is of public health concern on the micro, meso and macro scales. Macro scales
or global effects include transport of ambient air pollutants over large distances. Examples of macro
scale effects include acid rain and ozon pollution. Global effect of air pollution results from sources
that may potentially change th upper atmosphere, examples of which include depletion of ozone layer
and global warming.

Carbon dioxide is relatevely transparen to shortwave UV light from the sun. However, it
absorb and emit longwave radiation at wavelengths typical of the earth and atmosphere. Hence, CO2
acts much like the glass on a green house. It lets in shortwave radiation from the sun that heats the
ground surface, but it restrict the loss of heat by radiation from the ground surface. The more CO 2 in
the atmosphere, the more effective it is in restricting the out flow of radiation energy. The problem is,
the greatly increased the amount of green houses gases such as CO2, methane and nitrous oxide in
the atmosphere-mostly by burning things, like forest and fossil fuel. Figure 1 below show us
mechanism of global warming.

Figure 1 Global Warming Mechanism

 The bulk of the carbondioxide that has been added to the atmosphere has been atributed to
the combustion of fossil fuel. In the 1980s, massive deforestation was identified as a possible
contribution. Both the burning of thimber and the release carbon from bacterial degradation contribute.
Perhaps more important, deforestation removes a mechanism for removing CO 2 from the atmosphere
(commonly referred to as a sink). In normal respiration, green plants use CO 2 as carbon source. This
CO2 is fixed in biomass by photosyntetic processes. A rapidly growing forest can fix beetwen 1 and 2
kg per year of carbon per square meter of ground surface. Cultivated fields, in contrast, fix only about
0.2 – 0.4 kg.m-2 , and ths amount is recycled by biocompsumption and conversion to CO2.

Carbon dioxide is emitted in a number of ways. It is emitted naturally through the carbon cycle
and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.Natural sources of CO2 occur within the
carbon cycle where billions of tons of atmospheric CO 2 are removed from the atmosphere by oceans
and growing plants, also known as ‘sinks,’ and are emitted back into the atmosphere annually through
natural processes also known as ‘sources.’ When in balance, the total carbon dioxide emissions and
removals from the entire carbon cycle are roughly equal.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, human activities, such as the burning of oil, coal
and gases, and deforestation, have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In 2005, global
atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution.
Before the industrial revolution, there were 280 part per million of CO 2 in atmosphere. Today CO2 is
380 ppm. Just to keep green houses gases at their present level will require slashing our emission by
60 %. Increasing of atmospheric carbondioxide depicted in figure 2

Figure 2 Atmospheric Concentration of Carbon Dioxide

Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere in addition to being emitted
through human activities. This natural “carbon cycle” includes carbon dioxide used in plants during
photosynthesis and the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the oceans.

The primary natural processes that release CO 2 into the atmosphere (sources) and that remove
CO2 from the atmosphere (sinks) are:
• Animal and plant respiration, by which oxygen and nutrients are converted into CO2 and
energy, and plant photosynthesis by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored
as carbon in plant biomass;
• Ocean-atmosphere exchange, in which the oceans absorb and release CO2 at the sea
surface; and
• Volcanic eruptions, which release carbon from rocks deep in the Earth’s crust (this source is
very small).

Other gases have now been recognized as contributing to greenhouse effect. Methane (CH4),
nitrous oxide (N2O), and CFCs are similar to CO2 in their radiative behaviour. Even though their
concentrations are much lower than CO2, these gases are now estimated to trap about 60% as much
longwave radiation as CO2.
 Methane is emitted from a variety of both human-related (anthropogenic) and natural sources.
Human-related activities include fossil fuel production, animal husbandry (enteric fermentation in
livestock and manure management), rice cultivation, biomass burning, and waste management.
These activities release significant quantities of methane to the atmosphere. It is estimated that 60%
of global methane emissions are related to human-related activities (IPCC, 2001c). Natural sources of
methane include wetlands, gas hydrates, permafrost, termites, oceans, freshwater bodies, non-
wetland soils, and other sources such as wildfires.

Methane emission levels from a source can vary significantly from one country or region to
another, depending on many factors such as climate, industrial and agricultural production
characteristics, energy types and usage, and waste management practices. For example,
temperature and moisture have a significant effect on the anaerobic digestion process, which is one of
the key biological processes that cause methane emissions in both human-related and natural
sources. Also, the implementation of technologies to capture and utilize methane from sources such
as landfills, coal mines, and manure management systems affects the emission levels from these
sources.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced by both natural and human-related sources. Primary human-
related sources of N2O are agricultural soil management, animal manure management, and sewage
treatment, mobile and stationary combustion of fossil fuel, acidic acid production, and nitric acid
production. Nitrous oxide is also produced naturally from a wide variety of biological sources in soil
and water, particularly microbial action in wet tropical forests.

Nitrous oxide emission levels from a source can vary significantly from one country or region to
another, depending on many factors such as industrial and agricultural production characteristics,
combustion technologies, waste management practices, and climate. For example, heavy utilization of
synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in crop production typically results in significantly more N 2O emissions
from agricultural soils than that occurring from less intensive, low-tillage techniques. Also, the
presence or absence of control devices on combustion sources, such as catalytic converters on
automobiles, can have a significant affect on the level of N2O emissions from these types of sources.

II. Discussion
A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in
terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide". It is meant
to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact
in contributing to global warming. A conceptual tool in response to carbon footprints are carbon
offsets, or the mitigation of carbon emissions through the development of alternative projects such as
solar or wind energy or reforestation. A carbon footprint can be seen as a subset of earlier uses of the
concept of ecological footprints. The average UK carbon footprint is 9.4 tones per person.

The annual personal carbon footprint calculation focus on transportation, home energy and
waste. There are many other contributors to the carbon footprint of every step of human life, but these
three items will measure about half of personal footprint. Total calculation is not simply CO2, these
figure give a CO2 equivalent, which takes methan and other greenhouse gases into account

II.1 Transportation
1.Driving
miles driven per week = A (Miles/year)
(1 miles = 1.609 kilometres)
Cars average fuel per kilometres = B (Miles/gallon)
(1 US gallon = 3.785 litres)
A:B = C (Gallon/year)
19.654 x C = D (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)
(Emission factor CO2 emitted per gallon = 19.654)

2.Flying
Miles flown per year = E
1.36 xE = F (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)
(Emission factor flying/miles = 1.36)

II.2 Home Energy

1.Electricity
Kilowatt hours used per year G
1.37 xG = H (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)
(emission factor (electricity/kWh) = 1.37)

2.Natural Gas
CCF (100 cubic feet) used per year = J
12.61 x J = K (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)
(emission factor (natural gas/hundred cubic feet) = 12.61)

3.Oil
Gallon oil used per year = L
22.68 x M = N (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)
(emission factor (fuel oil/gallon) = 22.28)

II.3 Waste
average lb CO2 equivalent. generated from waste per person per year = O
(Default value is 1010 lb)
However, if you currently recycle certain waste the value can be lower
1.If we recycle newspaper = -184.3 (P)
(average number of pounds of CO2 equivalent per person per year that could be saved by recycling
newspaper = 184.3)
2. If we recycle glass = -25.6 (Q)
(average number of pounds of CO2 equivalent per person per year that could be saved by recycling
glass = 25.6)
3. If we recycle plastic = -46.6 (R)
(average number of pounds of CO2 equivalent per person per year that could be saved by recycling
plastic= 46.6)
4. If we recycle alumnium and steel cans = -165.8 (S)
(average number of pounds of CO2 equivalent per person per year that could be saved by recycling
metal = 165.8)
Total Waste Emissions= O + P + Q + R +S = T (Pounds of carbon dioxide
equivalent/year)

Total CO2 equivalent per year

D+F+H+K+N+T = Total (Pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent/year)

Frequent flier can achieved 80.000 CO2 equivalent. The average person in united states is 15.000.
The average UK carbon footprint is 9.4 Tones per person. however, ideal goal for everyone is 0
Carbon footprint. How much average personal Carbon foot print in Indonesia? Each country can give
spesific assumptions different about calculation, however carbon footprint model given above is a
good aproach to calculate personal carbon foot print in indonesia because it is tackle more complex
issues such as waste and recycle.

II.4 Carbon Foot Print Reduction.

There are many ways to reduce green house gasses. Everyone is part of the problem. Everyone
can give contribution and share of small steps- around the house, office and neighboorhood.-
because little things multiplied by the million add up, just as surely as individual CO 2 molecules add
up. In this ariticle, we will disscuss many personal essential skills to reduce carbon footprint

1. Car Travel
• Keep the vehicle properly serviced
• Keeping tires properly inflated will save about one tank of gas per year. Check the
pressure monthly, using the same gauge every time. The average tire loses about one
per square inch every month,
 • Avoid carrying unnecessary weight in the boot
• Plan the journey, so we don't get lost and waste fuel
• Try to avoid congested areas
• When starting up, there is no need to allow the engine to warm up - it is better to just
drive off
• Try to avoid sudden acceleration, engine revving, and sudden braking - harsh
accelerating and braking can use up to 30% more fuel and increase wear and tear of the
vehicle
• Avoid using air conditioning if possible, as this uses more fuel
• Drive with the windows closed, as this reduces drag on the vehicle
• Accelerate slower
• Switch the engine off if you think you are likely to be stationary for more than 2 minutes
• On motorways be aware of the cars 3 or 4 ahead, and keep a good distance from the car
in front to avoid unnecessary braking
• A simple engine tune up can improve car efficiency from 15 to 50%
• When replacing car, look for the most carbon efficient (i.e. with a low gCO2/km figure)

2. Replace a light bulb

The table 1 below gives an comparison beetwen standar energy ligt bulb and low energy light
bulb. We have highlighted the low energy light bulb in red to show that it could save Rp.
148.452 per year in electricity costs if used instead of a standard 100W bulb.
The energy saving could therefore pay for the initial cost of replacing the bulb within the first
year, as well as reducing our carbon footprint.

Table 1 Low Energy Light Bulbs Cost

Appliance Power (W) Usage/day (hours) Cost/kwh (Rp) Cost/year (Rp)
1x 100W Standard Light Bulb 100 8 620 181040
1x 18W Low Energy Light Bulb 18 8 620 32587

Low energy light bulbs are essentially fluorescent tubes bent into a shape to fit into an
ordinary light fitting. They use around a quarter to a fifth of the electricity used by an ordinary
light bulb. Although they cost a lot more, this is outweighed by the fact they last for many
years. This means that they save out time and trouble in not having to replace bulbs every
few months, as well as reducing our electricity bill.

Figure 2 Low Energy Light Bulb

3. Use Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a fuel that can be used in any diesel powered vehicle. It is biodegradable and
non-toxic. Biodiesel is a fantastic way of reducing carbon footprint as it only releases the
carbon dioxide that the plants absorbed whilst growing, therefore there is no negative impact
on the carbon cycle. Biodiesel can be made from waste vegetable oil. This can be collected
from chip shops and restaurants and processed to make biodiesel that can be used to run
any diesel motor.What many people don't realise is that biodiesel is actually good for your car
too. Unlike conventional diesel, biodiesel replenishes the lubricity, reducing engine problems
 and enhancing the life and efficiency of your motor. Biodiesel 's natural cleaning properties
will also help to clean injectors, fuel lines, pumps and tanks, meaning that the overall
maintenance costs are reduced.

4. Recycle waste
Average number of pounds of CO2 equivalent per person per year that could be saved by
recycling paper, glass, plastic and metal is about 422.3
Recycling uses less energy and produces less pollution than making things from scratch.
For example:
• Making Aluminium cans from old ones uses one twelfth of the energy to make them
from raw materials.
• For glass bottles, 315 kg of CO2 is saved per tones of glass recycled after taking into
account the transportation and processing
• Making bags from recycled polythene takes one third the Sulphur Dioxide and half the
Nitrous Oxide, than making them from scratch.
Another form of recycle is composting household such as raw vegetables, fruit crushed egg
shells, tea leaves and tea bags and garden waste such as fallen leaves and grass cutting.
Composting can helps fertilize soil, making plants and vegetables grow bettter.

III. Conclusion
A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in
terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide". It is meant
to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact
in contributing to global warming. There are many easy steps to reduce personal carbon footprint
include adjust the car, replace a light bulb, use biodiesel and recycle paper, glass, plastic and metal
and composting.

IV. Reference

1. Davis., Mackenzie & Masten, J Suzan. 2004. “Principles of Environmental Engineering and
Science” McGraw-Hill, New York.

2. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

3. http://www.nearzero.co.uk/media/low%20energy%20light...
4. De Rothschild, David.2007.”Global Warming Survival Handbook”. Live Earth, New York

5. http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

6. http://www.soi.wide.ad.jp