Assignment #1: Your carbon footprint

This assignment has several parts: (1) calculate your own personal carbon footprint, (2)
identify the per-capita carbon footprint of any other three countries you wish, (3) insert
these values on an outline map (that you can download from the web), (4) insert the percapita use of fossil fuels below the carbon values for each country, (5) write a paragraph
on what you derive from comparing the countries, including your own footprint.
Include your name, date, sources. Here are some web sites that might be helpful as
starters: www.eia.gov; www.iea.org; http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/; www.350.org.

This assignment is worth 15 points and is due electronically to Debaleena by March 25.
Debaleena majumdar (debaleena.majumdar@asu.edu)

SHAZWINA ZAKARIA

3/25/2016

1208757234
2011 figures

Malaysia
Carbon footprint per capita:
7.9 metric tons
Energy use per capita (oil
equivalent): 2769kg, 94.8%
Brunei
Carbon footprint per capita:
24.4 metric tons
Energy use per capita (oil
equivalent): 9696 kg, 100%

Singapore
Carbon footprint per capita:
4.3 metric tons
Energy use per capita (oil
equivalent): 4993kg, 97.7%

For comparison, countries chosen are Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.

Based on the figures obtained from Worldbank, Brunei is the champion for
carbon footprint per capita and energy use per capita at respective values
of 24.4 metric tons and 9696kg. Malaysia is the runner up, trending at
value of 7.9 metric tons for its carbon footprint per capita and procuring
the least energy usage per capita. Singapore on the other hand has the
least carbon footprint per capita of all, and also a guesstimate of 4993 kg
of energy usage per capita.
By inference, the high energy usage and carbon footprint per capita are
largely attributed to excessive consumption of electricity. Bruneis
household consumed the highest kwH per capita of electricity compare to
its neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Singapore. Bruneians are
spending at a low rate of electricity tariff which is heavily subsidized by
the government, thus this might be the reason on its excessive
consumption behavioural pattern. The low price impeded citizens
incentives to efficiently optimize electricity usage, thus contributing to its
over-consumption. Moreover, the archaic usage of single cycle turbines
implemented in most of its power plants, which is deemed to be low in
efficiency, has significantly contributed to high usage of fossil fuels and
emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. On top of that, Brunei is
noted as one of the highest car ownership in the world, corresponding to
more than two vehicles per driver. For Malaysia, the country is plagued
with excessive deforestation to which the fact is claimed by Google Forest
map. Deforestation is the second lead to the cause of high carbon
emissions after fossil fuel. Due to excessive establishment of oil palm
plantations and industrial timber, Malaysia has experienced excessive loss
of its valuable forests. Singapores energy usage is largely attributed and
allocated from industrial purposes. Its refining and petrochemical sector
majorly contributes to its carbon emissions. While confining to a small
amounts of land, the least carbon footprint might have due to the

improvement of Singapores levels of energy efficiency to its industrial

sector. By comparison of my carbon footprint (17 metric tons) to that of
Bruneis, Singapores and Malaysias, based on my behavioural
breakdown, the usage of home energy is the major contributor to carbon
emissions. This might have been due to the distinct climate seasons
experienced in America. By summer, redundant air-conditioning is needed
to sustain a comfortable environment, and by winter, heating appliances
are used significantly.
In conclusion of the inferences, efficient intervention by policy makers is
needed to significantly reduce carbon emission. Excessive deforestation
might have been prevented. Plus, energy efficiency programs would have
been adopted to curb the profuse consumption of electricity despite the
countrys complacency on its energy resource availability.

References
http://www.ewg.apec.org/documents/EWG46.PEER%20Review%20Brunei
%20Darussalam%20Final%20Report.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283992428_Electricity_Consump
tion_in_Brunei_Darussalam_Challenges_in_Energy_Conservation
http://news.mongabay.com/2013/11/malaysia-has-the-worlds-highestdeforestation-rate-reveals-google-forest-map/
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climatechange/how-we-work/reducing-emissions-from-deforestation.xml
https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/nationalcircumstances/singapores-emissions-profile