What a carbon footprint counts, working one out for electricity, travel and fuel, the main ways to reduce it, and why that is harder than it sounds.
What you will learn
- Define a carbon footprint
- Calculate footprints from electricity use, journeys and burning fuels
- Evaluate ways to reduce a carbon footprint and the problems involved
What a footprint counts
A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event.
Methane and other gases are converted to the amount of carbon dioxide with the same warming effect.
Ways to reduce it:
- Use renewable energy (solar, wind) or nuclear power instead of fossil fuels.
- Use less energy: insulation, efficient lighting and heating, turning things off.
- Carbon capture and storage: catch carbon dioxide at power stations and store it underground.
- Carbon taxes and licences make high-emission choices cost more.
- Plant trees, travel less, and reuse and recycle.
Why it is hard: new technology costs money, countries do not always agree, and people may not want to change their lifestyle.
The rest of this lesson and its 7 practice questions are locked.
In this lesson
- What a footprint counts
- Working out a footprint
- Try it: A year of electricity
7 practice questions, marked as you go; about 20 minutes in all.
Key terms
Carbon footprint, Renewable energy, Carbon taxes and licences, Plant trees
In this unit: The Earth's atmosphere
The air now and how it formed, greenhouse gases and climate change, carbon footprints and the pollutants from burning fuels. Its later lessons on water, life cycles, materials and the Haber process stay here too; Using resources teaches them in full.