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What Does Carbon Imprint Mean?

A carbon imprint is the sum total of the greenhouse gas emissions created by the daily activities of a person, organization or country. It's often referred to as a carbon footprint. Contributing factors range from transportation to electricity use.

  1. Carbon Dioxide

    • Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas emitted by burning fossil fuels. Though there are other greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is used as the basis for calculating carbon imprint.

    Personal Carbon Imprint

    • A personal carbon imprint is the result of activities and behavior under your control, such as car use, number of airline flights taken and usage of home electricity .

    Measurement

    • Measuring carbon imprint figures is not an exact science. But emissions can be grouped into categories. For example, the Berkeley Institute of the Environment focuses on transportation, housing, food, and goods and services

    Carbon-Neutral

    • People or organizations that fully offset their carbon emissions by investing in green technology or sustainable projects are said to be carbon-neutral.

    Average

    • The average carbon imprint for an American is 144 lbs. of carbon dioxide per day, according to statistics cited by the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado. This compares to 47 lbs. for an average European.

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