Carbon Footprint Results & Remedies
Check out your results from the Carbon Calculator. How does your carbon footprint compare to that of the average American? Each of us can take actions to help reduce our carbon emissions. You can offset your individual carbon footprint by contributing to the National Forest Foundation Carbon Capital Fund. The Fund supports projects on U.S. Forest Service land, which are designed specifically to offset carbon dioxide emissions in our environment.
Carbon Calculator Results |
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| Carbon Source | Your Carbon Footprint | Average Carbon Footprint* |
| You don't appear to use a car. | 0.00 metric tons of CO2/year | 5.02 metric tons of CO2/year [1], [2], [3] |
| You don't appear to utilize airlines. | 0.00 metric tons of CO2/year | 0.46 metric tons of CO2/year [4], [5] |
| Somehow you don't use any utilities. | 0.00 metric tons of CO2/year | 5.25 metric tons of CO2/year [6], [7] |
| Your total carbon footprint, which is a combination of the above metrics. What can I do about this? | 0.00 metric tons of CO2/year | 10.73 metric tons of CO2/year |
How Forests Reduce Carbon |
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National Forests Help Our PlanetOur country's 193-million-acre National Forest System plays an important and positive role in offsetting carbon emissions.
Our National Forests consist of natural features that provide benefits to many Americans, including clean water and air. The millions of acres of trees help absorb carbon dioxide. Forests, lakes, waterways, and snowy mountain ranges help keep regions cooler. Maximizing the positive effects of our National Forests depends on healthy forests, and a host of necessary conservation practices.
Through our granting programs, the National Forest Foundation supports hundreds of projects that improve the health of our National Forests. These on-the-ground conservation projects help restore watersheds and wildlife habitat, reduce risk of catastrophic wildfire, plant trees and vegetation in burned and damaged areas, eradicate non-native species, and improve recreation. |
Actions You Can Take |
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Reduce Your Carbon Emissions!There are many actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint, which can be as easy as purchasing efficient light bulbs.
Review this list of ways to reduce your carbon emissions to see which you are practicing and learn new ways to help the planet!
<Learn more Actions You Can Take> |
The Carbon Capital Fund |
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Check out your results from the Carbon Calculator. How does your carbon footprint compare to that of the average American? Each of us can take actions to help reduce our carbon emissions. You can offset your individual carbon footprint by contributing to the National Forest Foundation Carbon Capital Fund. The Fund supports projects on U.S. Forest Service land, which are designed specifically to offset carbon dioxide emissions in our environment. tree planting demonstration projects on U.S. Forest Service lands, which are designed to sequester carbon and provide additional benefits to wildlife habitat, water quality, and recreation.
At $6 per metric ton, you can offset the average carbon footprint of 10.73 metric tons with an investment of $64.38. Click here to donate.
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Sources Cited |
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Automotive[1] US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, "Emission Facts: Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Typical Passenger Vehicle," February 2005, p.4[2] Heavenrich, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2005," July 2005, Table 14, pg. 50. The average adjusted fuel economy for all model year 2005 vehicles was 21.0 mpg. [3] US Department of Energy, Office of Policy and International Affairs, "Technical Guidelines: Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (1605(b)) Program," March 2006, Table 1.D.1, p. 64, Air Travel[4] U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, "U.S. Air Carrier Traffic Statistics,"; table generated on 8/18/2006, figure was calculated by dividing the total number of scheduled System Revenue Aircraft Miles Flown in 2005, 7,915,129,000 miles, by the total number of scheduled System Revenue Aircraft Hours (Airborne) in 2005, 19,088,831 hours.[5] In 2005, total Revenue Passenger Miles flown (scheduled flights only for domestic and international flights of US certificated airlines) was 779,004,706,880 miles (source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; TranStats, Air Carrier Summary: Schedule T-1; table generated 8/18/2006). Total jet fuel consumed (scheduled flights only for domestic and international flights) in 2005 was 18,062,449,227 gallons (source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, "Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption – 2005," http://www.bts.gov/xml/fuel/report/src/monthrep.xml?styyyy=2005; table accessed 8/18/2006). Divide these two numbers to get 43.13 Revenue Passenger Miles per gallon of jet fuel burned. This figure is then divided into 20.88, the amount of pounds of carbon dioxide that is emitted when one gallon of jet fuel is burned (see US DOE "Technical Guidelines: above), to get 0.484 lbs. of CO2 per Revenue Passenger Mile. A conservative RFI (radiative forcing index) of 2.0 was then applied to account for the more accurate global warming impact of air travel, which includes the impact of greenhouse gases in addition to CO2, such as nitrous oxide, and contrails; see http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc/aviation/064.htm. Thus, 2.0 multiplied by 0.484 equals 0.968 lbs of CO2 equivalent emitted for each Revenue Passenger mile traveled. Utility[6] U.S. Department of Energy, "Updated State-level Greenhouse Gas Emission Coefficients for Electricity Generation 1998-2000," April 2002[7] Energy Infomation Administration, Form EIA-826, "Monthly Electric Sales and Revenue Report with State Distributions Report" [*] Supplemental source credit, "Carbon Counter - Calculations Explained" |
