Directions: Carbon Footprint Calculator

Are you ready to learn more about how your daily living impacts the amount of carbon that ends up in the atmosphere? Go to http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm and answer the questions it asks as truthfully as possible. To get a truly accurate measure you’ll likely need a couple documents: representative electric, gas, and water bills as well as an idea of your family’s transportation and food lifestyle.

Click through each category of questions. It’s up to you whether you do the simple or the advanced version, the advanced version will give you a better idea of your actual footprint, but it will also require more careful thought.

For each stage of the way record your category footprint, the average footprint, and the percent better or worse in the results sheet. If you are better than average put the percent as a negative number. If you’re worse than average put a plus sign in front of the percentage.

When you’ve completed the calculator and know your footprint write 3 – 5 sentences about that footprint. Are you surprised? Did you realize how your behavior impacted the environment?

Then click through the options presented in the take action step. Pick two that intrigue you for some reason and write 3 – 5 sentences about each. Why does it intrigue you? What type of upfront cost does it have? Will it save you money in the long run? Are you likely to make the change? What would it take to make the change?