CAR BON CALC ULA TOR It’s Freezing in LA x Science Museum
[1] Instructions
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This is an interactive Carbon Calculator! In section [2] we will ask you five questions about your annual carbon emissions. For each question, choose the answer that best describes your lifestyle, and colour into the grid the corresponding number of tonnes. Each square represents 1 tonne of Carbon Dioxide emitted (or, to be precise, 1000kg gCO2e - please see ‘Units’ at the end for more information). So 1 tonne = 1 square! -
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What shape your carbon footprint graph takes is up to you. There is only one rule: make sure all your squares are directly connected to each other, so your footprint makes one solid shape Where you start in the grid is up to you: you could make a block in the middle, or snake across the side, or label each column 1 to 6 and fill your shape in like a graph. You could use a different colour for each of the five questions.
Section [3] invites you to put your personal average into perspective, by comparing your personal carbon budget with that of other individuals and businesses around the world. While we feel it is so important that all of us consider how our daily lifestyle contributes to the global climate crisis, this tool ultimately demonstrates the need for systemic change on a global level. This can only be driven by corporate and political engagement.
GIANT GREEN GRAPHIC
e.g 1 tonne
[2] Questions To keep track, you can complete the cross next to your answers. These questions have been adapted from Resurgence Magazine’s Carbon Calculator. For more information on any of the following metrics, please look at Resurgence’s comprehensive information.
Transport
What best describes your use of car, train and bus transport each year?
Flying
I travel on average 5 miles per day in an electric car, or use public transport for 30 minutes daily. Add 0.5 tonnes I travel the national average of 20 miles per day in an electric car, or use public transport for 1 hour daily. Add 1 tonne I travel the national average of 20 miles per day in a diesel/petrol car, or travel by train for 2 hours daily. Add 2.5 tonnes I travel on average 40 miles per day in a diesel/petrol car or use trains for 3+ hours daily. Add 6 tonnes Bonus +2 tonnes for a 4x4 car.
What best describes how much you fly each year? For each short return trip. Add 0.5 tonnes For each medium trip. Add 1.5 tonnes For each long trip. Add 4 tonnes If your trip was in business class. Double the tonnes
4
Energy
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What best describes how you heat your home? How many bedrooms i n your house?
3-4
1-2
How many people live in your house?
How many people live in your house? 1
2
1- 2
3+
Do you have a Green energy Tarriff?
Do you have a Green energy Tarriff?
Do you have a Green energy Tarriff?
Do you have a Green energy Tarriff?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
1.5 tonnes
3 tonnes
1 tonnes
1.5 tonnes
4.5 tonnes
6 tonnes
1.5 tonnes
2.5 tonnes
Diet
What best describes how you eat? I am vegan, and only buy local/organic produce. Add 0.5 tonnes I am vegetarian, buy mostly local/organic produce. Add 1 tonne I eat meat and dairy twice a week, and often shop at supermarkets. Add 2 tonnes I eat meat or dairy every day, and mostly shop at supermarkets. Add 3.5 tonnes
Spending
What best describes your spending lifestyle?
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*Choose carbon conscious if you buy low-energy, locally made items where possible *Choose not very carbon conscious if carbon issues have little effect on your purchasing habits
I have an income of less than £20,000 and I am carbon conscious. Add 1 tonne I have an income of less than £20,000 and I am not carbon conscious. Add 2 tonnes I have an income £20k-60k and I am carbon conscious. Add 4 tonnes I have an income £20k-60k and I am not carbon conscious. Add 6 tonnes I have an income of £60k+ and I am carbon conscious. Add 7 tonnes
National Share
We each add an additional 1 tonne for participation in national infrastructure: Roads; Utilities; Government; Health; Defence; Education. Add 1 tonne
[3] Put it in perspective While it’s important to think about our own habits, we can only do as much as we can emotionally and financially afford. Plus, much of our environmental impact is dictated by what infrastructure is accessible to us (and that requires political and corporate engagement). It is also vital to acknowledge that the richest 10% of the world population are responsible for half of global lifestyle emissions. Conversely, the poorest half of the world population are responsible for only 10% of all global lifestyle emissions. Compare the footprints that follow alongside your own to see how they compare.
BONUS EXERCISE
We have found no data that reveals the carbon footprint of ultra-high-net-worth to billionaire individuals - does this seem surprising to you? However, we invite you to do a thought experiment: redraft your response imagining that you own 6 houses across the globe, and a yacht fly long-haul, business class, every month are driven by chauffeur or taxi repeatedly. *Units: A carbon footprint looks at the greenhouse gas emissions an activity (or person, event, product) is associated with. For any activity, you can calculate the amount of warming over 100 years it will cause. To avoid lots of tiny numbers, and to make the calculations easier, this warming effect is usually represented by the amount of Carbon Dioxide which would cause the same amount of warming as your activity (‘grams of Carbon Dioxide equivalent: gCO2e)’. *Note: from financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2019, large UK companies will be required to report publicly on their carbon emissions. References: - Guardian Data Blog: Carbon Emissions Per Person, Per Country - Gutowski, Science Daily ‘Carbon footprint of best conserving Americans still double global average’ - Otto et al, Nature, ‘Shift the focus from the super-poor to the super-rich’ - The Carbon Majors Database
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United Kingdomยน & Japan 10 tonnes
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e.g 1 tonne
Peru & India 1 tonne
9
e.g 1 tonne
The Democratic Republic of Congo 0.04 tonnes
10
e.g 1 tonne
United States 20 tonnes
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Regardless of income, there is a certain floor below which the individual carbon footprint of a certain country will not drop. In the US, the "floor" below which nobody can reach, no matter a person's energy choices, is 8.5 tonnes CO2e².
e.g 1 tonne
‘Super rich’³ 60 tonnes
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The average for a typical ‘super rich’ individual (defined as having household assets over 1 million dollars not including property) is over 60 tonnes per person: the size of this entire graph. This is ten times the global average
e.g 1 tonne
Aramco 60 tonnes every second
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The Saudi Arabian Oil Company. While you cannot compare personal footprints to industry footprints with perfect accuracy, it is fascinating to gauge approximate scales4.
e.g 1 tonne
France 6.5 tonnes
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France has much more nuclear energy in their mix.
e.g 1 tonne
Sustainable goal 2 tonnes
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e.g 1 tonne
Design & Layout Megan Joy Barclay & Will Reuben