Target Zero
WHAT IS A CARBON FOOTPRINT?
A carbon footprint is really a measure of the effect we have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases we produce (measured in units of carbon dioxide). A lot of what we do, from driving a car to buying goods transported from other countries, generates carbon emissions which contribute to accelerated global warming and climate change.
WHAT DOES THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD USE?
The average Canadian household creates about 11 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. That’s about 3 Olympic sized swimming pools of carbon dioxide each and every year going out in to the environment. And, many of us are far higher than 11.
WHAT MAKES UP YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?
Your carbon footprint is calculated based on the amounts of electricity, heating oil and natural gas you use as a household. Transportation is the biggest contributor to that number. The cars we drive, air travel, public transportation, taxis all add up to about 80% of our average household emissions.
WHY DO WE MEASURE JUST CARBON FOR OUR FOOTPRINT?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not the only man-made greenhouse gas - it is simply the one that has accumulated the most in the atmosphere and is presently having the greatest cumulative warming effect on our planet. Human sources of carbon dioxide primarily include the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), and deforestation. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased 30% since pre-industrial times.