| Ever wonder just how much you're contributing to global warming when you drive to work or crank up the thermostat a notch or two on a cold day? How many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases do you spew into the atmosphere when you drive, fly, eat and lead your life at home? How much do you save by recycling or composting?
The Internet stands ready to help calculate your "carbon footprint" with a number of Web sites dedicated to the task. Outfits ranging from the Environmental Protection Agency to Yahoo operate the sites. They offer tips on how to reduce your footprint - from turning down the thermostat in the winter to asking the hotel staff to wash your towels every other day rather than every day. And they'll let you "offset" your footprint by contributing money to fund a wind farm, for example, or plant trees. To calculate your carbon footprint and figure out how much carbon dioxide you create, visit the following sites:
The calculators vary, both in how they do the math and their level of sophistication. Some may require you to refer to your monthly utility bill. Others don't. Regardless of the calculation method, though, one thing is clear: Americans have a much bigger carbon footprint than people in other countries.
Reference: Fillion, R. (2008, February 18). Just how big is your carbon footprint? Rocky Mountain News.
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