Carbon Footprint Calculators

By Greg Richardson

Carbon footprint calculators measure the greenhouse gas emissions that an individual or household is responsible for producing over a given period of time. Usually accessible through websites, carbon footprint calculators help individuals conceptualize the impact that their activities have on global warming and highlight opportunities to reduce their impact.  

Many calculations, conversions, and estimates go into the formulas used to determine one’s greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporated into these calculations are both the direct greenhouse gas emissions generated by an individual, like burning fuel in a car, and those indirectly tied to a person’s consumption, like the energy used to make and dispose of the car.

If you are looking to find a carbon footprint calculator, dozens of them exist and are easily accessible through search engines (e.g.: Google or Yahoo!). Although these calculators all address the same issues, they range in the complexity and breadth of their questions. The most basic, for example, will only ask for information on one’s home energy use and travel methods. More specific carbon footprint calculators ask for your zip code, eating habits, and the age of your residence. It may be helpful, therefore, to skip ahead to make sure you have all the requested information before filling in the data requested by a given carbon footprint calculator. 

An important thing to note is that a carbon footprint calculator’s results are only going to be as accurate as the answers you put in. Rough estimates on the mileage of your car and on how often you fly will produce rougher estimates of your total carbon footprint. 

While a calculator’s estimate of your carbon footprint may not be exact anyway, there is still useful information that you can glean from the outcome. For one, the results will illustrate how big of an impact your lifestyle is making on the environment and highlight which activities in your life contribute most heavily to your total carbon emissions. More importantly, you can use this information to determine the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and take action.