Questions tagged [carbon-footprint]
a measure of the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced directly and indirectly by a person, an organisation, an event or a product.
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How would you calculate carbon emissions of software?
If I have a compute intensive piece of software that I optimize and I cut the compute time in half, how would I go about calculating the carbon emissions I have saved?
I guess I can take the compute ...
7
votes
1answer
64 views
How much CO2 does a plane produce per additional kg of weight?
There are many figures regarding how much CO2 is emitted per passenger and per km.
However, I have not been able to find anywhere how much CO2 would an airplane emit if it has to carry an additional ...
4
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0answers
101 views
What is the carbon footprint of pet food?
Are there any detailed studies of the carbon footprint of pet food production?
There are plenty of articles asserting that meat in cat and dog food is a major source of carbon emissions (e.g. from ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
Rule of thumb for estimating the carbon footprint of a manufactured good
I am looking for a simple "methodology" to roughly estimate the carbon footprint associated with buying a new e.g. toaster.
More precisely, I would like to have clues to deal with such a situation:
...
3
votes
0answers
46 views
WTW versus LCA approach in carbon footprint calculations?
I recently did some carbon footprint calculations for the organization I work for. I used conversion factors I found at the Dutch CO2 emission factors website. This website lists standard emission ...
3
votes
3answers
149 views
Biomass plants. Why do we use them?
I've recently read they are classified as "clean energy", and some nations do not count the CO2 emissions it produces towards a national CO2 quota/limit. At this point I am a little confused. Won't ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Is there any case where plant farming is more eco friendly than raising livestock?
I am looking for an example or a case with arguments that would justify converting cattle ranches into plant farms (e.g., wheat, apple, or anything non-meat). The advantages should be in a more ...
6
votes
2answers
107 views
If everyone had an 'American carbon footprint', how much would the world's temperatures increase?
I'm trying to create a formula that would show:
If every citizen in the world had an average carbon footprint of X.X kg per month, global temperatures could rise by X.X degC by 2050.
I know there ...
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2answers
83 views
Why do people buy carbon credits? [closed]
I have been reading about carbon offsetting and people or companies doing this by buying carbon credits. People give money to people to take care of natural asset (like Earth token and the Natural ...
3
votes
1answer
50 views
What's the carbon footprint of watching IPTV?
There are some topics discussing the carbon footprint of an email:
Whatās the carbon footprint of an email?
https://twosidesna.org/US/The-Carbon-Footprint-of-Email-is-quite-large/
However, I found ...
4
votes
2answers
91 views
Emissions offsets versus avoidance: can they be compared?
I'm going to be traveling from London to Toulouse next year. I could take a flight for around Ā£100, or a train journey for Ā£170. The emissions for the flight would be about 500kg, which would cost ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
Approximate CO2 emissions for shipping a parcel from one location to another
First of all, I know it is impossible to answer this question accurately. But that is not the point. An approximation will suffice.
For a project I need to display the CO2 "cost" for shipping a ...
4
votes
1answer
197 views
How bad are incense sticks for environment?
Belonging to a country where incense sticks are used extensively, I wonder how bad are they, althought it is said they are good for air. But at moment, it seems highly misleading to me.
What are the ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
CO2 track of staying in huts which are supplied by helicopter
How much CO2 do we produce by sleeping on average in a hut (including breakfast and dinner)in high-altitude > 3000 m)? Let's assume that the hut offers 50 beds and that a helicopter has to supply the ...
4
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3answers
114 views
Is there a website that lists the environmental impact and/or carbon footprint of many products and practices?
Perhaps a Q&A website like Sustainable Living?
2
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1answer
36 views
What information is lost when converting other air pollution into CO2e?
I'm struggling to explain the most important aspects of air pollution in a concise way. I understand CO2 is the biggest issue and long-term driver of global warming, but beyond that I'm lost. News ...
3
votes
2answers
40 views
Should the CO2 footprint of employment factor into purchasing decisions of consumer goods?
If my employer pays me Ā£80 per day, and I can estimate the CO2 footprint of doing my job, compared not working, is around 15Kg CO2e. So my earnings have a footprint equivalent to 180g CO2e per Ā£. (...
3
votes
1answer
62 views
To what extent do CO2 emissions from motor vehicles vary?
Do the CO2 emissions from petrol / gas vehicles vary depending on driving style? Are emissions a function of the engine type or the fuel efficiency?
If a motor car is rated at 105 g/km, but it is ...
2
votes
2answers
151 views
Embodied carbon in limecrete vs concrete
I'm planning an extension to my home and one of the many decisions is whether to go for a standard concrete slab over hardcore, or limecrete over blown glass with concrete strip foundations (e.g. ...
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votes
1answer
73 views
What is the average CO2 emission for a human while debating?
I am looking to calculate the CO2 emission of an average male human while arguing/debating.
It is my understanding that the amount of CO2 emitted will be based on the respiratory rate of any given ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Discretionary Carbon Footprint vs. Per-capita footprint
Are there any published academic studies which compare per-capita carbon footprint against discretionary carbon footprint (ie. lifestyle-connected emissions)?
per-capita footprint is the result of ...
4
votes
1answer
57 views
Which climate change mitigations take longer than 12 years to see a net benefit?
The recent IPCC SR15 Report has garnered a lot of press coverage because it warns that we must dramatically reduce CO2 emissions by the year 2030, less than 12 years away.
Global net anthropogenic ...
3
votes
1answer
86 views
What is the energy and greenhouse gas footprint of Skysource/Skywater water generator?
The Water Abundance X-Prize was recently awarded to the Skysource/Skywater alliance for:
... developing an easily deployable high-volume water generator that can be used in any climate, meeting the ...
6
votes
1answer
231 views
Is a solar cell phone charger a sustainable choice?
I bought this handy mobile solar charger for my cell phone. I wonder if it's a sustainable buy and looking for a report or similar that compares the production costs (including carbon dioxide ...
2
votes
2answers
145 views
Life-cycle assessment of software products?
I'm a software engineer, and lately I've been thinking whether it's possible to delineate the environmental impact of a software product - say a web service, a website, an app for your phone, etc.
It ...
5
votes
2answers
543 views
Carbon footprint of soy milk versus cow's milk
I am wondering about a specific carbon footprint comparison (i.e. total global warming potential per litre) between soy milk and cow's milk.
This would of course depend on where and how they are ...
4
votes
1answer
72 views
How much increase in GHG emissions is caused by Amazon Prime?
From Wikipedia:
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon that gives users access to free two-day delivery (one-day in some areas) [...] and other benefits for a monthly or ...
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0answers
25 views
Use Ebooks or normal books? [duplicate]
Ebooks and normal paper books both contribute to environmental damage in some way.
I want to know, which of those two contributes to less environmental damage, on average?
9
votes
1answer
75 views
What should I do with coal that I have been given?
My wife and I recently moved from London to a lovely old cottage in the countryside with electricity, no gas and a wood-burning stove. We are incrementally improving insulation to make the house more ...
6
votes
3answers
120 views
How to compensate past COā emissions
How would I compensate 250 tons of COā emissions that I've created in my life? Is there a sustainable way?
I know trees can absorb a lot of COā, but once they die, the absorbed COā is back in the ...
4
votes
1answer
294 views
How much, if any, does resolution effect the net power consumption of watching online video?
I watch a lot of online video. I'd assume that for example videos on Youtube in 720p use less power than the same videos in 1080p. I think this might be because:
more power is used by sending network ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Which has a smaller footprint — canned or frozen vegetables?
When fresh vegetables aren't an option, many sources indicate that frozen vegetables are generally better than canned (see here, here, and here, for example).
However, how do the environmental ...
8
votes
3answers
679 views
What's the carbon environmental footprint of good old cash?
It's known that bitcoin has a high carbon footprint [1].
Some have started to compare the environmental footprint of a bitcoin transaction and a standard visa transaction [2].
What is the carbon ...
10
votes
8answers
366 views
How can I make my family understand my CO2-emissions-related hesitation to fly in order to spend time with them?
I live in another country, approximately 2000 miles away from my family. Now, my parents have really hard time understanding the kind of personal sacrifices which are necessary to keep the world a ...
5
votes
1answer
240 views
Is heating with candles economically and/or ecologically worthwhile?
Considering my home doesn't have a heating system nor chimneys, I wonder if it's worthwhile to heat using only candles. There are multiple dimensions to consider:
Does it cost less than electric ...
4
votes
1answer
326 views
Carbon footprint of CNG vs. Diesel as a vehicle fuel
What is the benefit, in terms of carbon footprint, of replacing a diesel fueled vehicle with an identical one with a CNG engine?
I'm not convinced I can simply take the carbon intensities of these ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the carbon emissions from the manufacture of the hybrid components of a Prius?
For simplicity, I will assume that the manufacture of a Prius is essentially the same process as that of a non-hybrid ICE, plus the extra environmental impact required for the hybrid components (...
4
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5answers
4k views
What type of cheese has the lowest carbon footprint?
An answer to a question about the carbon footprint of cheese inspired this question.
According to Wikipedia, cheese can be made from the milk of several animals:
cows
goats
sheep
buffalo
reindeer
...
22
votes
4answers
5k views
Why does cheese have such a high carbon footprint?
(Source of information here)
As you can see, cheese has the third highest carbon footprint. Only beef and lamb have a higher footprint.
Several other sources (such as this) corroborate this.
Why is ...
6
votes
2answers
213 views
How much could the US reduce its electricity demand if people moved from Texas back to Ohio?
I have a theory that I am trying to develop empirical support for. I believe that the migration of people from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt has caused an increase in overall electricity usage and ...
3
votes
1answer
102 views
Should we leave all fossil fuels in the ground and not use them?
I get the feeling that there is such a strong backlash against fossil fuels that there is an irrational movement to purge them completely. Maybe because people are transferring their worries about ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
How much CO2 do I cause with one Google search?
Is there any data about the CO2 emissions per individual Google search?
Or are there none because Google is moving towards 100% renewable energy supply?
Scope:
Just the search query, no lifetime ...
5
votes
1answer
138 views
Hotel communal living
I want to purchase a hotel and sell rooms that have been renovated into tiny apartments that can accommodate one couple.
Living together will reduce costs for all and the rent can reinvested in green ...
9
votes
3answers
224 views
What is the environmental cost of encrypting your communications?
I am concerned by people's privacy in the Internet age, and the security that communication software and services offer, which is why I try to promote encryption in different everyday activities (...
8
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2answers
875 views
What is more sustainable, using a mechanical pencil or a pen?
I was considering to use the same device for writing from now on and I was considering two alternatives: a mechanical pencil or some kind of refillable pen.
Which of these two options is more ...
4
votes
1answer
91 views
What is meant by Global-warming Potential (GWP)?
I was under the impression GWP (global-warming potential) is the measure of a gas' impact on global warming, in comparison with CO2.
E.g. methane has a GWP of 86 over 20 years - Wikipedia
Comparing ...
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1answer
106 views
Why is the private car still around in the US: do our elected officials know more than we do? [closed]
Depending on whom you trust, sort of, up to two thirds of all the oil we consume in the U.S. is burned in our engines. If you added the section of the infrastructure that directly supports ...
11
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2answers
335 views
Do Christmas trees have a positive or a negative impact on carbon emissions?
In this era of growing concerns about global warming, the tradition of chopping down millions of trees each year only to discard them a few weeks later, might strike some people as bizarre.
But does ...
5
votes
2answers
98 views
How can one accurately estimate their carbon footprint?
After taking a few different "tests," I have realized that results may vary quite significantly.
Is there an online, comprehensive carbon footprint "test" that is both precise and accurate?
5
votes
1answer
59 views
Sources for the carbon impact of US corn ethanol?
I am struggling to find recent sources on the carbon intensity of corn ethanol. I find many sources from around 2007, but I want something a little more recent (preferably from this decade). This is a ...
