Carbon Footprint Defined

Environmentalists often talk about carbon footprint when discussing the impact of humanity on the environment. The carbon footprint is metaphorical shorthand for the impact that human activity has on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Identification

• A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon released by human activities. This carbon footprint may be assigned to an individual or an organization such as a corporation.

Significance

• Carbon is a "greenhouse" gas that some scientists claim is a contributor to global warming because it is thought to prevent heat from escaping through the atmosphere, therefore causing atmospheric temperatures to rise. Global warming is suspected of causing a variety of environmental problems.

Types

• A variety of products, such as automobiles, release carbon. Manufacturing of many products also produces carbon. Many energy sources such as electricity are generated in such a way that it releases carbon.

Benefits

• By understanding your own carbon footprint, you can try to make decisions that will reduce your carbon footprint.

Carbon Credits

• Under cap and trade legislation, businesses get credits for carbon emissions that can be bought and sold among companies. The ability to sell these credits give businesses incentives to reduce their carbon footprint.