How To Calculate Your Impact On The Environment

The production and consumption patterns in the world today are not sustainable. And the reason for this is that most of the things we consume are produced using non-renewable energy sources, in particular fossil fuels. We are using up fossil fuels which have been generated over hundreds of millions of years, to provide the energy to grow our food, energy to transport us around the world, energy to power our businesses and to heat our homes.

One statistic shows that during one year, we use 400 years' worth of accumulated fossil fuels. Clearly this rate of use is not sustainable. Furthermore, the more fossil fuels we use, the more carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere. This contributes to global warming and changes the environment. By converting each type of energy use into a carbon equivalent, you can work out which sources of energy use have the most impact on the environment.

1. Your impact. To work out how to reduce your impact on the environment, you must first understand how much CO2 you emit through your usage of fossil fuels, and then look for ways of reducing this and converting to a more sustainable way of living. This carbon calculator will show you how much CO2 you produce from various energy and transportation uses in 4 easy steps.
   • Step 1. Click on the "Energy" tab and enter the annual amount of energy you use from different sources, eg. gas, electricity.
   • Step 2. Click on the "Transportation" tab and enter your annual transportation usage.
   • Step 3. Click on "Calculate" to show you how many tons of CO2 you emit using this energy.
   • Step 4. Click on "Chart" to compare this usage and see where you can most easily cut back.

2. Your choices. As our limited supply of fossil fuels runs out, the price of oil will go up and this will affect nearly everything we do. The world population is set to rise from just over 6 billion now to over 9 billion by 2050. With new countries industrializing, the world's fossil fuel energy supplies will run out very fast. Many experts estimate that this could happen within 30 years.
   As individuals, there are two routes we can take. We can continue our energy usage at our current levels, but when oil runs out, we will be hit with a nasty surprise. Or we can start to plan for the future, and be smart in the way we use energy.
3. Heating and electricity bills. You can reduce your heating and electricity bills through the following:
   • Insulate your home properly.
   • Use alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, water or geothermal power.
   • Don't overfill your kettle.
   • Turn down the heat in your house and use a thermostat.
   • Replace your light bulbs with low-energy bulbs.
   • Turn appliances off completely when not using them. Don't leave them charging or on standby.
4. Transportation costs. You can reduce your transportation costs by:
   • Walking and cycling where possible.
   • Take the train or bus for long journeys.
   • When you next buy a vehicle, go for an electric, hybrid or fuel-efficient car instead of a gas guzzler.
   • Take your holidays in your home country or travel by train instead of flying.
5. Additional steps. You can also reduce your impact on the environment by doing the following:
   • Recycle your waste.
   • Make compost.
   • Grow your own food.
   • Buy local and organic instead of imported foods. Organic food is grown without chemical fertilizers, which use a lot of oil to produce.

You can also improve the environment by planting trees or protecting existing habitats. For more information on how to reduce your impact on the environment, visit www.ecoforests.org.