Saturday, February 21, 2009

Handy- Dandy CO2 Emissions Calculator


I know my boot size: 12. I know my hat size (7 1/4). I know my neck size, sleeve length, sport coat size, pant size (inseam and waist - don't ask). I know the square footage of my house, liter displacement and horsepower of my truck engine (ok, ex-truck) and I even know my ring size.

But I'll be darned if I know the size of my carbon footprint. And, until today, I hadn't much of a clue how to figure it out. Which has been sort of a problem because I've been routinely chided by friends familiar with this little blog to figure out - even rough back-of-an-envelope approximations of - just how green (or how hypocritically - the measurements would tell!) I was actually living.

At one point - just for heuristic, motivational purposes - I got out an envelope and turned it over... but sadly, instead of conclusions, I kept drawing blanks as to where and even how to start. Then (inspiration struck and) I thought, it must be the medium. I used to be a poet of sorts - and a songwriter - and I'd always found bar napkins to be the ultimate in inspirational stationary.

But the napkins didn't really work either. Someone may as well have suggested I do a "back-of-the-envelope" calculation of the parabolic plastic force of a 14-foot tall wave breaking at 19.7 MPH under partly-cloudy skies while Neptune rises in Aquarius... on the moon.

I guess you could say, carbon-footprint-size-wise, I was pretty much clueless. Until now. Tonight I stumbled on Greenopolis, an active little blog with nearly 3000 members, some interesting posts and comments, and best of all for my purposes, under the "myopolis" link, this handy-dandy, all you need to get your number, CO2 Footprint Calculator.

It couldn't be easier. I'm going to check mine immediately. After I publish this post.

I'll get back to you with the results... if you'll share yours. It's ok. Really. We're here to learn, not to judge.



UPDATE: And just in case you're even farther behind than I am and don't know what, exactly, a carbon footprint is...there's no more excuses.

UPDATE #2: Gasp!

3 comments:

  1. Its a good question and it will be an interesting exercise to see what your calculated footprint is...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Whats the CO2 footprint of the ocean? Ill give you a clue less than 91% and more than 89%. We need to tax the living shit out of the people and use the money to stop the ocean from committing this crime to humanity. Wake up people.

    ReplyDelete