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Carbon Footprints

Learn about carbon footprints, their impacts on global warming, and how to go on a carbon diet to reduce your carbon emissions. Set boundaries, choose a protocol, and select a tool to calculate your carbon footprint and focus your efforts on reducing your greatest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Carbon Footprints

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  1. Carbon Footprints Marlowe Kulley Mike O’Brien Office of Sustainable Development

  2. What is a “carbon footprint”? • Total carbon emissions of a person or organization from all sources, both direct and indirect, over one year. • Direct: burning natural gas in a furnace • Indirect: using electricitygenerated by a coal-fired powerplant

  3. Typical personal carbon sources • Driving a car • Lights and heat • Travel • Food • Consumer goods • Building materials

  4. Oregon Electricity Mix

  5. Going on a carbon diet • A Carbon Diet is similar to a food diet • Start by assessing your current weight (of carbon dioxide) • Calculate a carbon footprint to find your “current weight” of carbon dioxide emissions

  6. Going on a carbon diet • Determine your ideal weight • Measure your carbon footprint against your peers • Determine your ideal carbon footprint • Identify sources of carbon emissions • Reduce by starting with the most significant sources first

  7. Why would you diet? • CO2 is a significant cause of global warming • Human activity is a significant cause of CO2 • CO2 emissions relate to individual choices • Individual initiative is necessary because market forces or legislation will not be powerful and timely enough • Each individual should take responsibility for his or her share of carbon emissions

  8. Or, why not a carbon diet? • Other causes are important • It’s natural, such as volcanos or the sun • Many emissions cannot be attributed to individuals • Markets or politics will correct human activity • Population growth invalidates the calculations • One cannot limit everyone to equal emissions

  9. The planetary gamble • “If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm. • “If the present overshoot of this target CO2 is not brief, there is a possibility of seeding irreversible catastrophic effects.” Dr. James Hansen, NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies, et al

  10. Carbon Footprint (GHG Inventory) • Why do it? • Understand risks • Focus efforts on biggest impacts • Your employees, customers and investors care!

  11. Carbon Footprint • Where to start? • Set Boundaries • organizational & operational • Choose Protocol • GHG Protocol created by WRI/WBCSD • Select tool • Climate Registry, excel spreadsheet

  12. Source: WRI

  13. Business Emissions: Wells Fargo

  14. Business Emissions: REI

  15. Carbon Footprint • Where to start? • Set Boundaries • organizational & operational • Choose Protocol • GHG Protocol created by WRI/WBCSD • Select tool • Climate Registry, excel spreadsheet

  16. Carbon Footprint • Where to start? • Set Boundaries • organizational & operational • Choose Protocol • GHG Protocol created by WRI/WBCSD • Select tool • Climate Registry, excel spreadsheet

  17. Most importantly … • Remember that doing a carbon footprint is not a means to an end – just a tool to help you focus your efforts on your greatest source of GHG emissions!

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