... apparently have very large carbon footprints. I smugly thought I was doing pretty good at conservation since I "don't get out much." Yet it appears my footprint is embarrassingly larger than the average consumer in this country. Not sure how except that if I get rid of our Mazda van, I could cut that figure in half. So what's the rest of the country doing that I'm not? Not sure, but at least the calculator gives ways to offset my greedy consumption (Really, I thought I was pretty conservative!!)
I've added a link in my bar so you can calculate your own footprint. Please don't tell me your number since it will only depress me further. Instead, make a resolution to offset some of your own bloat and save some dragonflies and butterflies for the future.
By the way, we found this fossilized print in the creek behind behind our home.
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I can't tell what that is in the photo--dried mud?
No, it really is a fossil. The creek is lined with shale and the girls have found several places with fossilized imprints.
The calculator doesn't take into consideration how one's electricity is produced. The carbon footprint of coal-fired electricity is greater than that of natural-gas-fired; greater still than renewable or nuclear-powered. You should take credit for whatever percentage of your electricity is produced with renewable or nuclear energy, so your footprint may not be as bad as you think (you can find out that info from your provider).
Given that you live where you have a choice about your electrical provider, you could improve your score quite a bit by buying 100% renewable energy (though of course you'll probably end up paying a premium vs. the natural gas-fired product that's the standard in our state).
Of course, whether or not any of this makes any difference in the grand scheme of things is debatable. But it is a cool picture of a fossil, which has fueled my imagination this afternoon.
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