Sunday, February 04, 2007

Carbon Footprint

I spend most mornings watching BBC Breakfast as I wake myself up and get ready for work. I do love the banter and gentle humour that occasionally takes place between some of presenters, particularly Bill Turnbull and Kate Silverton. Dermot Murnaghan is good as well. It's also very amusing when Declan Curry the Business Reporter comes on to talk all things business. Sometimes they get him to do some rather amusing things. He's certainly up for a laugh and it does help to perk one up in the mornings. I recommend you watch them if you're UK-based/can get BBC1 and are up at that sort of time.

Anyway last week they had a focus on Carbon Footprints. They used a family as a case study to assess the efforts they had made to try and reduce their overall impact on the environment. It got me thinking about my own carbon footprint....I have always tried my best to think how I can keep my carbon emissions to a minimum. I think I do a reasonably OK job (but by no means claim to be doing my best!)....I don't have car, I use public transport most of the time, I don't heat a large home, and I am trying my best to avoid using flights to get to places, particularly those which are 'short-haul'.

So I went onto the website www.carbonfootprint.co.uk and tapped in some rough/guesstimate details on my carbon creation efforts in the last year.

According to its calculations, I have emitted about 2000kg less carbon than the average UK person. The average carbon emissions per person is 10,963 per annum. Had I not gone to Mexico last year it would have been significantly lower.

To 'offset' these emissions I could plant 4 trees. I will have a serious think about this and let you know what I decide to do.

If you decide to do this little experiment/test on yourself/household let me know via my blog how you fared (if you dare!) and whether you might do anything to redress your carbon footprint.

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