'Fair Share' emission targets of 2.5 tons C02 per person....

[citizentwiglet]

As suggested by many scientists and environmentalists as a way to limit climate change; whereby those of us in the the Western world reduce our footprint from an average 12.5 tons to 2.5 tons whilst allowing developing countries extra leeway.......with me so far?

I've done a few carbon footprint calculators (and been moaning about them on my blog), and at least the WWF one does allow you to go into greater detail about steps you have taken, and pledges you are willing/able to make. My carbon footprint is currently 5.91 tons (1.56 planets - down, slightly, from the original 1.9odd I was moaning about last night, as I hadn't answered any extra questions at that point).

Comparing my results with others, it seems to be that this idea works - in theory - for people with expendable income who live in an urban environment and own their own home. This is my problem (comparing myself with someone with very similar answers to mine, except she lives in a city and owns her own home)....

- I cannot buy milk from a milkman. We do not have a milkman. (Believe me, I've searched).
- I would love decent double-glazing and better draught exclusion; my landlord resists.
- I would love to take a 5 minute shower instead of a bath, but we don't have a shower. Again, up to landlord. (Although I do admit to sharing my bathwater).
- I would love a water meter. Again, down to landlord. But as we pay our water and sewage rates through the council tax, there is no incentive for meters up here.

There are quite a few examples that really do seem to make a difference - the girl mentioned above goes abroad every year by plane (we don't fly at all), drives daily, eats red meat and has never bought organic food locally; yet her footprint is considerably lower than mine. (I'm talking personal, not family, footprints here).

I'm doing everything I can, to the point where I'm actually getting quite anal about it all, but it seems soul destroying that it doesn't seem to get anywhere near to that magic 2.5 tons. I have to bear in mind that I do have a family, too, so this mission of mine - at the moment - has to balance out the needs of two young children.

Can anyone get there, honestly? With actions, rather than pledges or little exaggerations of worthiness? Or is this figure completely plucked out of thin air? (It equates to, on average, an 80% cut in personal emissions).

[Big Al]

As suggested by many scientists and environmentalists as a way to limit climate change; whereby those of us in the the Western world reduce our footprint from an average 12.5 tons to 2.5 tons whilst allowing developing countries extra leeway.......with me so far?

I've done a few carbon footprint calculators (and been moaning about them on my blog), and at least the WWF one does allow you to go into greater detail about steps you have taken, and pledges you are willing/able to make. My carbon footprint is currently 5.91 tons (1.56 planets - down, slightly, from the original 1.9odd I was moaning about last night, as I hadn't answered any extra questions at that point).

Comparing my results with others, it seems to be that this idea works - in theory - for people with expendable income who live in an urban environment and own their own home. This is my problem (comparing myself with someone with very similar answers to mine, except she lives in a city and owns her own home)....

- I cannot buy milk from a milkman. We do not have a milkman. (Believe me, I've searched).
- I would love decent double-glazing and better draught exclusion; my landlord resists.
- I would love to take a 5 minute shower instead of a bath, but we don't have a shower. Again, up to landlord. (Although I do admit to sharing my bathwater).
- I would love a water meter. Again, down to landlord. But as we pay our water and sewage rates through the council tax, there is no incentive for meters up here.

There are quite a few examples that really do seem to make a difference - the girl mentioned above goes abroad every year by plane (we don't fly at all), drives daily, eats red meat and has never bought organic food locally; yet her footprint is considerably lower than mine. (I'm talking personal, not family, footprints here).

I'm doing everything I can, to the point where I'm actually getting quite anal about it all, but it seems soul destroying that it doesn't seem to get anywhere near to that magic 2.5 tons. I have to bear in mind that I do have a family, too, so this mission of mine - at the moment - has to balance out the needs of two young children.

Can anyone get there, honestly? With actions, rather than pledges or little exaggerations of worthiness? Or is this figure completely plucked out of thin air? (It equates to, on average, an 80% cut in personal emissions).

............ And you think you're anal... mine is down to 1.24 t but that does not include all the hot air that comes from my wife whinging about how cold it is even with three jumpers, two pair of trousers 5 socks.....[ the sock monster got the other one] 3 hats, 2 coats and 3 gloves [ the glove puppet got the other one] ......

[crowsashes]

i did the wwf carbon foot print thing and er, mines 2.06 planets i dont drive in fact i walk everywhere, im mostly vegetarian, i dont fly i never have!, i have all the energy saving devices including insulation etc. i grow my own, i dont even own a flippin telly?

i dont think its very accurate so i wouldnt stress over that one!

i just did this one www.carboncalculator.co.uk
i got 1777 kg per year, based on my travel and heating etc and shopping added on another 134 kg how many planets is that?

another calculator said i use 4.25 tons of co2 a year

the act on co2 one seems to be the most indepth, asking more detailed questions, such as if you own a tv etc. that said my personal footprint was 1.65 tons of co2.

my footprint for travel was zero though!

hmmm this co2/footprint thing is all confusing isnt it?

[KathyLauren]

Thanks for this post. It motivated me to go looking for a carbon footprint calculator. Unfortunately, neither the WWF UK version nor the US version will accept a Canadian location. I have complained to the Canadian WWF about their lack of a calculator.

I did find another one that worked, but I don't know how it compares against the WWF ones in terms of accuracy and level of detail. FWIW, I am at 6 tonnes.

[Susie]

I'm doing everything I can, to the point where I'm actually getting quite anal about it all, but it seems soul destroying that it doesn't seem to get anywhere near to that magic 2.5 tons. I have to bear in mind that I do have a family, too, so this mission of mine - at the moment - has to balance out the needs of two young children.

Stop it, woman. Don't be soul destroyed! You're clearly doing loads, and I would have thought calculators are a crude way to measure (at least, ones they put online which are presumably meant to be a helpful indicator for a very wide range of people, I'm sure there are some wonderful individual detailed ones as well). I've just done the WWF one (1.87 planets!) and the devil is very much in the absent detail (if that makes sense) - so with your girl who lives in a city and eats red meat, she could be eating everything off the menu at McDonald's once a week or she could be making a healthy stew from local game & seasonal veggies and feeding all the neighbours, but there's nowhere to make distinctions like that. I got points for keeping our house temperature 'comfortable' rather than warm, but actually the reason it's not warm is because our insulation's rubbish and we haven't sorted it out yet! So I suspect if you had a calculator where you could make those distinctions your footprint might be quite different. And actually it probably isn't realistically possible for everyone immediately, I think it depends on your living situation, local infrastructure, job situation etc. I think you have to just do the best you can. Sorry if that sounds trite. Keep on keeping on!

[citizentwiglet]

Thanks for the replies! Having discussed this with some other 'normal' folks, they vary between 3 or 4 planets, or are, I suspect, lying through their teeth / conveniently forgetting they use their cars for everything and have just spent £90.00 a week on ready-meals in Tescum. (One I know reckons her 'planets' total 1.13, although she is permanently wedged behind the wheel of her 4 x 4 - which is obviously required, as she lives in that rural wilderness that is central Manchester, spends £50.00 a week on clothes and accessories and eats ready meals on the 2 nights a week she doesn't have takeaway.... ).

So many more questions that need clarification to get a really accurate picture, I guess. Is your recycling comingled, or seperate? How many times do you get the kids to wear dirty t-shirts around the house to avoid wearing them? How often do you wash your hair? There are, for example, very few questions about water usage, use of chemicals in cosmetics / personal hygiene products, use of goods and equipment that are very 'dirty' to manufacture, such as cotton, or nylon carpets or packets of dried foods. But then, they have to stop somewhere, I suppose.

[paul123456]

hello there ,

just looked at the carbon calculator , miss a few options .
At first I was 0ver 4,5 tonnes , but it does not consider , heat by solar and wood .
Washing machine and dishwasher on the solar heater .
Growing own veg , egg , fruit , wood .
Peeing in the garden , using a septic tank, hanging the washing outside ,and loads more
energy saving things , led lamps , nothing on stand by .................

regards ,

Paul

[snapdragon]

//.... she is permanently wedged behind the wheel of her 4 x 4 - which is obviously required, as she lives in that rural wilderness that is central Manchester, spends £50.00 a week on clothes and accessories and eats ready meals on the 2 nights a week she doesn't have takeaway.... ).
//....

yuck! what a life

I reckon when you do everything you can - and then look for more things to do you just have to be doing it good