Summing Up Carbon Calculators

So, you're living your best sustainable life, composting like a champ, carrying a reusable water bottle that's practically an extension of your arm, and sporting ethically made socks that have never seen a factory. But hey, have you ever wondered (worried?) just how big of a carbon footprint your jaunts to Vegas and late night DoorDash deliveries are leaving behind? 

Before we expose the not-so-green skeletons lurking in your closet, it’s helpful to understand what exactly is a carbon footprint? Measured in CO2e, your carbon footprint calculates all the greenhouse gasses you’re responsible for emitting that contribute to climate change (carbon, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases). Carbon calculators are like the Sherlock Holmes of the eco-world. Armed with data, algorithms, and a flair for deduction, they dig into your lifestyle choices to calculate the carbon emissions hiding in plain sight.  

Step 1: Choose Your Calculator. Like wine, carbon calculators vary widely in complexity, depth and finish. You may want to try several to see what works best for you. Unlike wine, using carbon calculators can be a very sobering experience. Here are a few of the best ones I’ve found: 

• CarbonFootprint.com - This calculator offers a comprehensive assessment of your carbon emissions and provides personalized recommendations to help you reduce your carbon footprint as well as options to purchase carbon offsets once you’ve assessed the damage. It also calculates your “secondary footprint” separately from your total footprint which measures all the crap you buy and consume. It calculated my total footprint as a staggering 20.1 tons of CO2e per year. Gulp. It makes me want to wander off into the forest, live off land, and spend the remainder of my days planting trees to atone for my fifty plus years of overconsumption.

• Cool Climate Network Calculator - Created by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, this calculator offers a handy graph broken down by travel, home, food, goods and services so you can see how you’re doing compared to others as you move along. I liked how this calculator accounts for where you live and can choose simple or more advanced calculations. It defaults to calculating per household but allows you to calculate individually. It also allows you to calculate what percentage your electricity comes from clean energy sources. For example, where I live, the default is 84% clean energy and you can choose 100% renewable sources for your electricity. When you’re done, it shows you options to reduce your carbon footprint, what they cost, how much money you’ll save, and how much it will reduce your carbon footprint. It calculated my household footprint with my portion of that weighing in at a hefty 13.4 tons of CO2e. Should I buy a book on foraging or is that just more consumption for when I sequester myself in the forest? 

• Global Footprint Network Calculator: This calculator also allows you to take a simple or advanced track. What really sets this one apart is all the different ways it tells you (me) how unsustainable my life is. It calculates an “ecological footprint” given in hectares (1 hectare = 10,000 square meters = about 2.5 acres) and told me I consumed 4.1 hectares which are the “biologically productive area required to provide everything I consume;” while the planet can only provide for 1.7 hectares per person. It also gives you an “Overshot Earth Day” to tell you the date when, if each person lived like me, we would be out of resources. It’s like a death date … for the Earth. My date is May 21st. Then it tells you how many planet Earths it would take to sustain a planet full of people like me: 2.6 (Oh, the shame!).  But then it explained something interesting: my personal impact was only about 50% of my ecological footprint which accounts for all the resources I benefit from and share with others in my city, state and country (i.e. infrastructure such as roads, the military, governmental services). It’s a great way to emphasize the importance of demanding that our governments, both local and national, address the climate crisis as quickly and effectively as possible. But how am I going to lobby for change from the forest? Maybe I’ll need a solar powered smartphone. They probably make those, right?

• EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator: The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s calculator estimates your household's carbon footprint based on energy use, transportation, waste, and more. It also gives you options to reduce your carbon footprint as you go - i.e. drive 1000 fewer miles per year, save $196 and 138 pounds of CO2/year, turn the AC up 1 degree in summer, save $26 and 158 pounds of CO2e per year. For waste, it does not take into account a family’s recycling or whether they compost. It then asks you what your planned actions are to clean up your mess and calculates the savings measured in the number of trees planted or gallons of gas or water saved. It also compares you with families of your size in your zip code. My footprint was less than my zip code mates—I’m not sure if that makes me feel good or hopeless? I’m so confused…

• 8 Billion Trees: This is a quick and simple survey but has limited options (i.e. I use electric (from renewable sources) for cooling and natural gas for heat but I had to choose from one of those). It calculated my footprint is 10.58 tons, compared to the average global citizen's is 5.29 tons. It also told me that if everyone consumed like me, we’d need 2.1 earths and I’d need to plant 120 trees per year to offset my carbon footprint. Yowza. It also let me know that I could donate $43.07/month to 8 Billion Trees to offset my carbon footprint. Phew. Do they take American Express? 

Step 2: The Carbon Confessions: Be brutally honest and brace yourself for impact. Take a deep breath as the calculator processes your data and presents you with a number that defines your carbon footprint. Remember, you are not your number. Like any good negotiation, the starting number is only a jumping off point. 

Step 3: Take Action!: Stop despairing and start sustaining! Remember the 4 C’s: Consume, Contribute, climate-friendly Candidates and Community. 1) Consume less; find ways to reduce your footprint that are doable and affordable for you. 2) Contribute to causes that are invested in protecting the Earth from the ravages of climate change—you can take all the money you save from consuming less and contribute to your climate-friendly charity of choice. 3) Electing c Candidates who are committed to taking bold, decisive action are our biggest hope for a sustainable future. Also, be sure to inform your currently elected officials and those running for office that climate change is a high priority for you. Or run for office yourself!  4) Community connects us with fellow eco-warriors and allows us to support, inspire, and inform each other in our quest for a  sustainable future. 

There you have it, intrepid carbon detectives! Carbon calculators aren't just about numbers; knowing your footprint may be just the kick in the pants you need to start walking a little (or a lot) lighter on Mother Earth.