What is a Carbon Footprint?

Carbon Footprint is a term being thrown around a lot these days, and for good reason, so we thought we’d write a post to break it down for you.

The technical definition

According to the good old Encyclopedia Britannica, a carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with all the activities of a person or other entity such as a building, corporation, or even a country.

People often assume the term refers only to carbon dioxide, but it also includes other notorious greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), many of which pack a global warming punch that is much more potent than carbon dioxide.

What’s it made up of?

For simplicity’s sake, let’s break down what the average human’s carbon footprint is made up of. For starters, understand that your carbon footprint is heavily influenced by where on the planet you live. Developing countries usually have significantly lower per capita carbon footprints than those in the developed world.

Case and point, according to EDGAR (the European Commission Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research), the average Colombian’s carbon footprint is just 1.74 tonnes, while the average Canadians is a whopping 15.69 tonnes. This difference is largely a result of differences in lifestyle factors between the developing and developed world. Source - EDGAR

These factors predominantly include your diet, how you get around (both locally and flight patterns), your living situation (the size of your house and where it draws energy from), and your purchasing patterns. There are other factors that are taken into account such as your investment portfolio, the number of children you have, etc., but let’s examine the ‘core four’ for the time being.

In comparing the developed to the developing world, you can see why there are such stark differences. Those from the developed world not only have access to more food and material items, but a lot of what they buy is imported from other countries, and that comes with a hefty carbon price tag. People from developed nations are also much more likely to regularly travel by car or plane, and they most certainly live in larger houses that require significantly more electricity to power.

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Now that you understand it, what can you do about it?

Ok, so your carbon footprint is on the wrong side of good, no need to panic! Education is the first step, and once you understand your climate impact, there are several ways that you can reduce it.

A vegan in a hummer has a lighter carbon footprint than a beef eater in a Prius. {{Michael Pollan}}

While we don’t know if the above quote is actually true, you get the point! Eating less red meat, and animal products will reduce your carbon footprint, as will driving less, flying less, choosing to power your house from renewable energy sources, buying less stuff, and choosing to purchase from sustainable businesses wherever possible.

But what matters most is you get started, no matter where you are on your climate journey.