CARBON FOOTPRINT

1.0 DEFINITION

A carbon footprint is defined as:

The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human
activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of
CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol
for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2.
Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have
emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and
goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.

Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by
your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period
of a year.

Carbon dioxide is a so called greenhouse gas causing global warming . Other greenhouse gases
which might be emitted as a result of your activities are e.g. methane and ozone. These
greenhouse gases are normally also taken into account for the carbon footprint. They are
converted into the amount of CO2 that would cause the same effects on global warming (this is
called equivalent CO2 amount).

2.0 MAIN SOURCES OF CARBON EMISSION

Human Sources

Since the Industrial Revolution, human sources of carbon dioxide emissions have been growing.
Human activities such as the burning of oil, coal and gas, as well as deforestation are the primary
cause of the increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.

87 percent of all human-produced carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels
like coal, natural gas and oil. The remainder results from the clearing of forests and other land
use changes (9%), as well as some industrial processes such as cement manufacturing (4%).1
Human sources of carbon dioxide emissions, IEA. Almost all human carbon dioxide emissions
come from the combustion of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuel combustion/use

The largest human source of carbon dioxide emissions is from the combustion of fossil fuels. This
produces 87% of human carbon dioxide emissions. Burning these fuels releases energy which is
most commonly turned into heat, electricity or power for transportation. Some examples of
where they are used are in power plants, cars, planes and industrial facilities. In 2011, fossil fuel
use created 33.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.1

The 3 types of fossil fuels that are used the most are coal, natural gas and oil. Coal is responsible
for 43% of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion, 36% is produced by oil and 20% from
natural gas.5

Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel. For every tonne of coal burned, approximately 2.5
tonnes of CO2e are produced.6 Of all the different types of fossil fuels, coal produces the most
carbon dioxide. Because of this and it's high rate of use, coal is the largest fossil fuel source of
carbon dioxide emissions. Coal represents one-third of fossil fuels' share of world total primary
energy supply but is responsible for 43% of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use.

Transportation sector

The transportation sector is the second largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide
emissions. Transporting goods and people around the world produced 22% of fossil fuel related
carbon dioxide emissions in 2010.5 This sector is very energy intensive and it uses petroleum
based fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc.) almost exclusively to meet those needs. Since the
1990s, transport related emissions have grown rapidly, increasing by 45% in less than 2 decades.8

Road transport accounts for 72% of this sector's carbon dioxide emissions.5 Automobiles, freight
and light-duty trucks are the main sources of emissions for the whole transport sector and
emissions from these three have steadily grown since 1990. Apart from road vehicles, the other
important sources of emissions for this sector are marine shipping and global aviation.

Marine shipping produces 14% of all transport carbon dioxide emissions. While there are a lot
less ships than road vehicles used in the transportation sector, ships burn the dirtiest fuel on the
market, a fuel that is so unrefined that it can be solid enough to be walked across at room
temperature.Because of this, marine shipping is responsible for over 1 billion tonnes of carbon
dioxide emissions.

Global aviation accounts for 11% of all transport carbon dioxide emissions. International flights
create about 62% of these emissions with domestic flights representing the remaining 38%.11
Over the last 10 years, aviation has been one of the fastest growing sources of carbon dioxide
emissions.12 Aviation is also the most carbon-intensive form of transportation, so it's growth
comes with a heavy impact on climate change.

3.0 CALCULATION ON CARBON FOOTPRINT

There are many ways to calculate carbon footprint, but at most the general formula to calculate
the carbon footprint for human at a place will be:

Carbon footprint (cf)= Number of people (P) x Total carbon emission per year (EI) x

number of days people spent at place over a year(EIP)

So, CF: P X EI X EIP.

On the general terms the government has decided the rate of certain category which would be
helpful

Total carbon emission per year: 6021 kg

Energy consumption of an individual : 228kWh

Co2 produced by individual per year : 98 kg

For example, calculate the carbon footprint generated at a classroom with 48 students, 1 lecturer
for 6 months.

As for the statement above , the carbon footprint can be calculated as follows.

CF: 49 x 6021 x 120 days (holidays are deducted)/365 days

CF:49 x 6021 x 0.33

CF: 97359.57 KG was emitted during at the classroom for 6 months.

4.0 EFFECTS OF CARBON FOOTPRINTS

The measure of carbon footprint in this sphere origin has given a great impact. Most of this
effects happened due to human activity, transportation , production of electricity and other
major sources that are mention earlier on the source of carbon footprint section. The carbon
footprint left by the all these sources are matter of great concern. Some of the effects that may
cause by the footprints are , combustion of greenhouse, climate change, marine life depletion ,
habitat destruction and natural resources depletion.

1.Combustion of greenhouse gases

Electricity generation and transportation-related activities account for well over half of the 14
percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States from 1990 to 2008. The Federal
Transit Administration estimates that switching to public transportation instead of driving would
allow the average American to reduce his or her carbon footprint by 10 percent. Americans could
also reduce their collective carbon footprint by changing their incandescent bulbs to compact
fluorescent lights, preventing the emission of 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

2.Climate change

Climate change is the ultimate effect of large carbon footprints. Greenhouse gases, whether
natural or human-produced, contribute to the warming of the planet. From 1990 to 2005, carbon
dioxide emissions increased by 31 percent. By 2008, the emissions had contributed to a 35
percent increase in radiative warming, or a shift in Earth’s energy balance toward warming, over
1990 levels. Global warming has the potential to result in more wildfires, droughts and tropical
storms, according to NASA. Catastrophic weather events caused $1 billion in damage in the
United States during 2012. Storms like 2012's Hurricane Sandy and 2013's Typhoon Haiyan are
becoming more frequent, and the devastation they cause takes local communities years to
remedy, often with the help of international aid. The destruction of infrastructure causes several
human health issues, including disease transmitted when water and sewer systems are not
working properly. The storms themselves and the damage to infrastructure they cause often
result in a tremendous loss of human life.

3.Marine Life Depletion

Carbon footprint generated by human activities has resulted in a considerable decrease in the
Marine Life including sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales etc. Ships of various sizes, whether used for
fishing or transport leave some kind of footprint behind them, when sailing through deep waters.
Sometimes huge sea liners are found to leave a trail of fuel and garbage in deep sea, which proves
to be disastrous for life of marine animals.

Sea Turtles are documented to be incapacitated and dying, due to the ingestion of plastic bags
into their digestive system, which they confuse with their natural food. Thousands of dead fishes
are washed ashore because of the fuel that ships lay in deep sea, making the water practically
un-breathable for the fishes.

4. Depletion of Natural Resources

Carbon footprint left by Human activities play a vital role in decreasing our natural resources and
harming the environment. Every Human activity which leaves carbon foot print does its bit in the
depletion of our natural resources. Activities like mining, results in erosion, formation of sink
holes and contamination of soil and water, by the chemicals produced during the mining process.
Apart from polluting soil and water it also results in deforestation, having an effect on ecological
balance.Other profit oriented activities by Humans like factories, too play a vital role in the
depletion of natural resources by leaving considerable amount of carbon footprint into the
environment. Tons of Chemical waste from our factories is washed into our water bodies and
rivers, contaminating the water and rendering it useless to use. Apart from killing the aquatic life
such chemical pollution has a disastrous effect on the life on land too. People are known to be
suffering from a lifelong ailment or disease as a result of exposure to the contamination.Tons of
Green House gases and other pollutants like CO2 (Carbon di-oxide) and CO (Carbon Mono oxide)
as a result of human activities like transportation and production result in a decrease in the air
Quality Index, indicating a decreased level of oxygen in the air.

5. Shrinking water supplies

Carbon dioxide persists in the atmosphere for 50 to 200 years, so emissions released now will
continue to warm the climate in the future. The EPA predicts that climate change will cause the
demand for water to increase while the supply of water shrinks. Water is not only essential to
human health but also to manufacturing processes and the production of energy and food.
Climate change is expected to increase rainfall in some areas, thereby causing an increase in the
sediment and pollutants washed into drinking water supplies. Rising sea levels will cause
saltwater to infiltrate some freshwater systems, increasing the need for desalination and drinking
water treatment.

6. Changes in Food Supplies

Changing weather affects the agricultural industry and the human food supply. Carbon emissions
contribute to increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation, changing the growing
conditions for food crops in many areas. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program,
carbon emissions are causing warming in California's Central Valley that is projected to
significantly reduce the yields of tomatoes, wheat, rice, maize and sunflowers in this region.
Major changes in crop yield will cause food prices to rise around the world. In addition, climate
change influenced by carbon emissions forces animals, many of which are hunted as food, to
migrate to higher altitudes or northern habitats as the climate warms.

7. Geographical Changes
It takes only a small change in temperature to have enormous environmental effects;
temperatures at the end of the last ice age were only cooler than today’s temperatures by 2.5 to
5 degrees Celsius (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit), but parts of the United States were covered by
thousands of feet of ice, according to NASA. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
estimated that carbon emissions will cause global temperatures to rise by approximately 1.5
degrees Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next 100 years. This slight change can have
dramatic effects on shorelines, especially those densely populated by humans where rising sea
levels flood buildings and roads and influence shipping traffic. According to the EPA, sea levels
on the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coasts have risen over 20 centimeters (8 inches) in just 50 years
after almost 2,000 years of no observable change.

8. Habitat Destruction

Various Human Activities such as mining, factories, building of Roads and Highways lead to the
destruction of natural habitat of humans and animals. Acres of forests are cleared, cutting down
thousand of trees, for making roads or for setting up new factories. Lush green forests are
replaced by concrete jungle marked with human activities. Such habitat destruction of mammoth
proportion results in the loss of life on Earth and a decrease in their natural resources. Habitat
destruction is one of the vital effects of the carbon footprint left by Humans, leaving less space
for the Humans and animals to survive, depleting their daily requirements for food and space.
The destruction of their habitat leads animals towards human settlements, leading to human
animal conflicts apart from constraining their resources.
5.0 WAYS TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT

1.Transport

Try to avoid short car journeys because fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are
disproportionately higher when the engine is cold. Research shows that one in two urban car
journeys is for under 3 km — a distance that can be easily cycled or walked. n Don’t speed —
speeding uses more petrol and emits more CO2. Driving faster than 120 km per hour increases
fuel consumption by 30% compared with driving at 80 km per hour. Higher gears (4th, 5th and
6th) are the most economical in terms of fuel consumption. Travel by train. One person travelling
by car alone produces three times more CO2 emissions per km than if this person were travelling
by train. n Explore alternatives to flying. Flying is the world’s fastest growing source of CO2
emissions. If you fly, then consider “offsetting” your carbon emissions. There are organizations
that will calculate the emissions you have caused and invest money in renewable energy. n
Develop active transport options. Prepare cities and settlements for active transport with
accessible and safe walking and cycling paths and routes. n Strengthen public transport systems.
Make public transport safe, convenient and affordable. Take care in selecting vehicles to
minimize their impact on emissions.

2. Food

Eat local and seasonal produce. Fresh, locally grown, seasonal food generally uses less energy to
produce. It burns up fewer food miles, as the distance it has to travel from farm to plate requires
less fuel. n Try not to waste food. Only buy or order what you need. n Recycle organic waste.
Methane released by decomposing biodegradable waste in landfills accounts for around 3% of
the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions. By recycling your organic waste, or composting
it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem.
3. Energy Use

Turn down the heat. Reducing the temperature by just 1 °C can cut 5–10% off your family’s
energy bill and avoid up to 300 kg of CO2 emissions per household per year. Turn down the cold.
Air conditioners are real energy wasters — an average room air conditioner operates at 1000 W,
causing around 650 g of CO2 emissions per hour. Fans might be an alternative, otherwise use air
conditioners sparingly and look for the most energy-efficient model. In countries with dry heat,
the room water coolers are as effective and draw only a fraction the energy consumed by an air
conditioner. Turn off fans in rooms not in use. Programme your thermostat so that at night, or
while you are out of the house, you minimize your heating or cooling use. This alone can reduce
your heating and cooling use by 7–15%. Install good home insulation. This is one of the most
effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions and to save energy in the long term. Heat loss through
walls, roof and floor commonly accounts for over 50% of overall space heat loss. Insulate your
hot water tanks, the pipes of your central heating, windows (see below), roofs, ground floors as
well as your wall cavities, and fit aluminium foil behind your radiators. In tropical climates (and
during heatwaves) good insulation will help keep heat out.

4. WATER USE

Boil less water. If you only boil just enough water for your cup of tea, you could help save a lot
of energy. Cover your pots while cooking. Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for
preparing the meal. n Avoid drinking bottled water. Where possible, avoid bottled water as it
has large environmental and economic costs associated with plastic bottles and transport. Take
a shower instead of a bath. Doing so takes up to four times less energy. To maximize the energy
saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the
same comfort. Turn off the tap. If you turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, you can save
several litres of water per person per day. Use the washing machine and dishwasher only when
they are full. If you need to use a machine when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy
setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high
5. Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycle as much as possible. Take used glass to the bottle bank and separate paper and
cardboard, plastics and cans for recycling from the rest of your waste. Recycling one aluminium
can saves 90% of the energy needed to produce a new one — 9 kg of CO2 emissions per kg of
aluminium! For 1 kg of recycled plastics, the saving is 1.5 kg of CO. Reduce waste. Most products
we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one way or another, e.g. during production and
distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save
the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes. Reuse your shopping bag. When shopping, it
saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop.
Choose products that come with little packaging. Buy refills when you can you will also cut down
on waste production and energy use! Buy intelligently. One bottle of 1.5 litres requires less
energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5 litres.

6.0 CONCLUSION

As outlined above, sustainable practices are not only an obligation towards our environment and
future generations. The incorporation of carbon management systems and renewable energy
sources is actually an investment which will yield profits for all areas of the production and
commercial process. Furthermore, this course of action is anticipated to be adopted generally
and enforced legally. Thus, it is clear that it’s in a business’s interest to develop sustainable low
carbon development strategies and policies as soon as possible.
7.0 Refrence

1. Action Energy, (2003) Energy Consumption Guide 19 – Energy use in offices. Revised
Edition. London: Carbon Trust [ available at
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx?id=ECG01 9
][viewed on 20/02/2011].

2. Carbon Trust, (2005) New and Renewable Energy Fact Sheet (GIL137). London: Carbon
Trust [available at:
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx?id=GIL137 ]
[accessed on 17/02/2011].

3. Carbon Trust (2010) Carbon footprinting – The next step to reducing your emissions
(CTV043). London: Carbon Trust [available at:
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx%3fid%3dCTV04
3 ] [viewed on 12/02/2011].

4. Carbon Trust (2011) Carbon footprintinghttp://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-

reduce-costs/calculate/carbon-footprinting/pages/carbon-footprinting.aspx [accessed
on 12th February 2011].

5. Carbon Trust (2011) Renewableshttp://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-

costs/products-services/technology-advice/renewables/Pages/renewables.aspx
[accessed on 28/02/2011].