A carbon footprint is a measurement of the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced by a person, organization, or product. It has recently become a very popular way of measuring and talking about environmental impact. A person's carbon footprint is usually measured as the metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) or CO2 equivalents a person helps to produce each year. This includes CO2 produced directly, such as by burning fuel when driving a car, or indirectly, like the greenhouse gases created by the manufacturing of that car. Although CO2 is an invisible, odorless gas, it is still measured as a weight--on this website, in metric tons (about 2200 lbs). A carbon footprint can also include measurements of CO2 equivalents, or other greenhouse gases such as methane or nitrous oxide, measured in their equivalent amounts of CO2. For example, 1 tonne of methane is the equivalent of 21 tons of CO2.
The idea of a carbon "footprint" derives from the idea of an ecological footprint, which is a measurement of the amount of land a person would need in order to produce the resources they use--the amount of land needed for consumption to be sustainable. This is the source of idea that we need 3 Earths to actually sustain the human population, and would need almost 10 Earths if everyone lived like an American. A carbon footprint, on the other hand, measures the amount of greenhouses gases a person produces each year, not the amount of carbon needed to sustain a person. This a carbon footprint is better viewed as the size of the "footprint" a person leaves behind--a record of their behavior visible in the amount of CO2 they produce. A person's carbon footprint has become an almost de facto measure of environmental impact, becoming quite popular and well-known (if not well-understood). Thus this website seeks to explain environmental impact in terms of a carbon footprint, rather than other units.
Simply enter your home address into the box on the front page to get an estimate of the carbon footprint for your household! You may also provide information specific to your household (rather than using the estimates provided by Better Carbon) by clicking the "Personalize Profile" button. This information will make both your footprint and the estimated footprints of other users more accurate.
A carbon calculator is a computational system that allows people to estimate their carbon footprints. These estimates can help people understand how different aspects of their lifestyle affect the environment, and make informed decisions about how they may live more sustainably.
The Better Carbon calculator uses two methods to provide a quick and yet accurate estimate of a person's carbon footprint. (For a more detailed description, see the documentation) First, we estimate a person's footprint based on their location (specifically, their address). This small piece data actually provides a lot of information about a person's carbon lifestyle. For example, we can make a reasonable guess at the size of a person's home based on the average house size of their neighborhood (available from real estate listings), or get a probable estimate of the amount a person likely drives based on average traffic conditions (available from government transportation offices). Thus rather than requiring users to provide all this information, we are able to make an educated and accurate guess based simply on their location. Users are also able to further specify the estimated data in order to refine their estimated carbon footprint and get an even more precise calculation.
In addition, these refinements can improve the calculator's estimates even further. This information, along with the tags a person entered and their location, is used to match the user to other similar users using collaborative filtering techniques. By finding similar users, the site creates an even more accurate model of a user's carbon lifestyle based on the carbon footprints of those users. Just like a recommendation system may suggest a movie enjoyed by people who like the same kinds of movies as you, the Better Carbon calculator provides carbon footprint estimates similar to those of people who have a similar lifestyle.
Better Carbon seeks to be faster and easier to use than other carbon calculators, able to provide an accurate estimate with only a single piece of information (the user's home address). Furthermore, by combining information from a large number of users, Better Carbon will be able to provide users with a fuller picture of humans' impact on the environment.
There are many ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint! Our compiled list of suggestions is a good place to start seeing how you can individually help the environment, and thereby help us all to live in a more sustainable world.