Carbon foot print

[bluesj]

With all the talk of global warming or climate change at the moment I thought I would look at what my carbon foot print is, mine is around 9 tonnes. the UK average is 13.4 tonnes, the world average is 4 tonnes, the US is 20 tonnes and Sweden and Switzerland is 6.1 tonnes.

So two questions

1 What are Sweden and Switzerland doing to make theirs half of ours?

2 How much do I/ We have to reduce ours from 13.4 tonnes by to lower the risks of global warming?

 

From my point of view man is not the cause of global warming but we probably are speeding it up.

[rodp]

With all the talk of global warming or climate change at the moment I thought I would look at what my carbon foot print is, mine is around 9 tonnes. the UK average is 13.4 tonnes, the world average is 4 tonnes, the US is 20 tonnes and Sweden and Switzerland is 6.1 tonnes.

So two questions

1 What are Sweden and Switzerland doing to make theirs half of ours?

2 How much do I/ We have to reduce ours from 13.4 tonnes by to lower the risks of global warming?

 

From my point of view man is not the cause of global warming but we probably are speeding it up.

This, but all it means is the planet will rectify the situation sooner. it may mean we disappear though, as have other species in the past

[CharlieT]

Just done mine on WWF website and it's 5.9 tonnes.

[rodp]

Hmm, 11 tons, and I drive a 4x4, don't recycle and eat what and when I want. Apart from flying I don't see how it could be more, yet it's not particularly high ??

[bluesj]

Took my 9 tonnes from the highest calculator i tried.

On the wwf one it was 7.6 tones

Edited December 13, 2015 by bluesj

[poontang]

16.2 tonnes for me.

[CharlieT]

Just done mine on WWF website and it's 5.9 tonnes.

 

Using the same peramiters I've just done it on another site and it comes to 9.1.

 

I don't believe a word of it !!!!

[imissalot]

7.7 for me

[AVB]

35.7 tonnes. Way to go. Bigger is best right?

[rodp]

 

Using the same peramiters I've just done it on another site and it comes to 9.1.

 

I don't believe a word of it !!!!

So, it just goes to show it's another one of these quango loads of bull. Just another place for the weirdos to hang out and cause trouble.

[Scully]

35.7 tonnes. Way to go. Bigger is best right?

[Livefast123]

No point really worrying about it with the likes of China, America and India pumping massive amounts of alledgly climate changing gases out with impunity, GB is small fry.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Livefast123

[Scully]

No point really worrying about it with the likes of China, America and India pumping massive amounts out with impunity, GB is small fry.

Yep, and the Philippines are building who knows how many more coal fired power stations? Their Premier has said the West has built everything it now has, and is in the position it now is, off the backs of coal fired power stations, and is now telling them ( the Philippines ) they shouldn't be doing it. A tad hypocritical perhaps?

I just find it all a bit ridiculous really. IF man is responsible for climate change, then I find the claim that he can rectify it to be conceited beyond belief. The oceans will heat up and cool down as they have done for millennia, man will continue to create a 'carbon footprint' by going on his jollies at least once a year, ( just think of the carbon footprint which could have been avoided if the current meetings had been held via video link) the extension to Heathrow, so we can create an even bigger carbon footprint, will go ahead, China will continue to do what it does, as will the rest of the world, some Government bodies and some individuals will make a financial killing off the back of it, and the human race will continue to thrive and grow at an unsustainable rate while you and me will be taxed to the hilt to combat it while sitting at home with our 40watt energy saving bulbs and a bag for life.

Cynic? Moi?

[bluesj]

On one list of co2 emissions the the aussies are are pumping out about a tonne more per person than the yanks and china is well down the list per person

[Sha Bu Le]

I remember some years ago now, when the concept of a 'carbon footprint' appeared. The holiday airlines (usual suspects, TC, Thompson etc ) capitalised on it. On the homeward flight they would ask " would you care to offset your carbon footprint, give us ten pounds and we'll do for you. Used to ask, "how will you Wonder what happened to all the spondoolics they collected or do I need to ask.

 

As a result the airlines in flight do not get a penny of my hard earned for any petition. Especially a stubby can of Heineken at £4 a shout. They are charging you the cost of carrying the damned thing and they are making a profit.

[rjimmer]

When Greenland was discovered, it was warm enough to grow wheat there, so what was causing the planet to be so warm then? Nothing new under the Sun, apart from financial instruments based on Carbon Credits, perhaps.

[Chris Bb]

When Greenland was discovered, it was warm enough to grow wheat there, so what was causing the planet to be so warm then? Nothing new under the Sun, apart from financial instruments based on Carbon Credits, perhaps.

 

And what caused the last ice age, dinosaurs passing wind?

 

This planet's been getting on, with us and without us for a long, long time, and continues to do its own thing.

[shaun4860]

using WWF mine is

3.06

 

 

My theory for what it's worth is that we are slowly changing from ice age to hotter age? then ice to hotter age, it's a cycle,

 

At the minute we are coming out of an ice age into a hotter age, when we have all died off, the earth will start to cool again and the life cycle all starts again,

 

nothing we can do to stop it, we may slow it down but thats it.....

 

 

[loriusgarrulus]

We will all have too start growing trees to offset our carbon footprints.

Then cut them down to burn and make more carbon.

Then replant more trees to replace the ones we cut down.

[FalconFN]

using WWF mine is

3.06

 

 

My theory for what it's worth is that we are slowly changing from ice age to hotter age? then ice to hotter age, it's a cycle,

 

At the minute we are coming out of an ice age into a hotter age, when we have all died off, the earth will start to cool again and the life cycle all starts again,

 

nothing we can do to stop it, we may slow it down but thats it.....

 

 

That has been happening over the last 10k years, as have 'ice ages' and warmer periods over much longer periods, but these cyclic periods of hot and cold are strongly linked to atmospheric carbon dioxide and generally occur over longer time frames. The problem at the moment, and the reason why most of the people that have the most in depth knowledge in this field are very worried, is that the rate of increase in carbon dioxide is orders of magnitude greater than similar periods in the past.

 

There is a time lag (although very short in geological terms) between the increase in atmospheric carbon and global temperature rises, so we have only just begun to see the difference in temperature show itself from the last 100 years.

 

If we don't do something very, very soon to mediate the increase in carbon emissions then we as a species are in very real danger of starting an unstoppable series of events that will naturally occur to massively increase carbon emissions, and reduce carbon uptake, which will make life very different and difficult for our kids and grandkids.

 

In short, it is likely that we are prematurely causing climate change, and at a rate that will be almost impossible to deal with.

 

I'm not a 'believer' in climate change, but I see that the scientific argument makes sense and that the likely outcome of us releasing millions of years worth of previously locked away carbon into the atmosphere is an increase in temperature. There are many unknowns surrounding the processes by which the earth mediates or exacerbates the problem, but the fundamental science us pretty robust.

[dawntredder]

It's all to late now me thinks....END OF THE WORLD IS NIGH!!need to buy a surfboard!!

[krugerandsmith]

Charlie.

Another con to raise taxes in this country ..... We abide by the rules nobody else does.

[casts_by_fly]

With all the talk of global warming or climate change at the moment I thought I would look at what my carbon foot print is, mine is around 9 tonnes. the UK average is 13.4 tonnes, the world average is 4 tonnes, the US is 20 tonnes and Sweden and Switzerland is 6.1 tonnes.

So two questions

1 What are Sweden and Switzerland doing to make theirs half of ours?

2 How much do I/ We have to reduce ours from 13.4 tonnes by to lower the risks of global warming?

 

From my point of view man is not the cause of global warming but we probably are speeding it up.

 

 

I'm not going to get into whether global warming is man made or not, but to answer your question #1 above you have to consider the calculations that you are using. For the most part, carbon footprint for a person depends on the power supply, cultural habits, and economy of the country. For Sweden and Switzerland, their domestic power grid will make a huge difference. Sweden relies on hydro and nuclear power, both of which are basically zero carbon output. Switzerland has a different balance but similar sources. Consider that 2/3rd of the US is coal and natural gas which are high emitters of CO2. The UK has a similar split to the US for Coal and Gas (about 60% of total, split roughly equally).

 

Next is cultural. The US is a driving economy. Public transport is limited outside of the core of the major cities. Most people in the US drive most places they go, and the distances between places is larger compared to the UK. So that adds a lot of highway miles for both people and goods (freight in trucks). Switzerland is tiny. Sweden's population is clustered in a relatively small area of the country. The UK isn't large and has decent public transport for a large portion of the population (certainly compared to the US).

 

Lastly consider economy and industry. The US has a lot of agricultural production and consumption per capita at high footprints like beef, corn (maize), and other fruits all of which require quite a bit of hydrocarbon fuel to produce.

 

The world average will be very low because the bulk of the world's population lives without a car and many without electricity in their homes. Around 2.5B people ( roughly 1/3 of the world's population) have no or limited access to electricity. Much of that population relies on subsistence farming which is local and has a small CO2 footprint. This is the population that will determine the global CO2 footprint. Getting the UK (60M people) to cut down their footprint by 20% will have a limited impact. If the 2.5M people without power suddenly have access to inexpensive electricity (i.e. coal/gas/oil) their carbon footprint will shoot through the roof and global emissions will soar. I'm not saying we shouldn't all do our part (we should all do everything we can), however the fate of CO2 in the air will depend on bold policy in developing markets far more than the individual actions and you and me.

 

thanks,

rick

[CharlieT]

Brilliant answer Rick. Sums it up spot on.

[Nial]

1) We are still rebounding from the Little Ice Age of the early 1800.

 

2) Ice core records show CO2 levels lagging temperature by ~ 800 years.

 

 

We have nothing to worry about, in 50 years people will roll around laughing about the 'olden days' if you

mention "carbon footprint".