Carbon Footprint

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:24:41 +0200

Carbon Footprintis a representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide).Carbon dioxide are emitted from burning fossil fuels are the major contributor to greenhouse gases which causes global warming.

This is directly related to the amount of natural resources consumed, increasingly used or referred to as a measure of environmental impact. Carbon dioxide is recognized as a greenhouse gas, of which increasing levels in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and climate change. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including sea level rise, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation resulting in floods and drought. There may also be changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, though it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Other effects may include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

A carbon calculator may ask questions like:-
How fuel efficeint is your car?
How many times do you fly in a year?
Do you stay in a independent house or in an apartment?

Some of the websites which offer calculators for carbon footprint are:-

www.carbonfootprint.com
www.carbonfund.org
www.redefiningprogress.org

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