Solving Climate Change One Kilogram at a Time

Google 'carbon calculator' sometime - you will get about 233,000 hits. Carbon calculators help estimate your carbon footprint.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly wonder whether these types of carbon calculators are the best means to help you actually reduce your footprint.

I think my household carbon footprint is about 17 Tonnes per year based on my utility bills and how far we drive (and the size of our vehicle). This took me about 5 minutes to calculate by converting my annual Kw x Kg of CO2 per Kw and knowing that gasoline emits 2.36 Kg/litre. Realistically, does it matter if we are at 15.5 tonnes or 18.5 tonnes when what we really need to do is reduce it anyway?

I know that someone driving a Hummer 20,000 km per year has a much higher carbon footprint than a Yaris driven the same distance...do I know what the exact amount of each is - no? Do I know the Yaris is better - yes.

What's my point? The reality is - reducing your carbon footprint (or basically your energy consumption) means taking action - changing light bulbs, insulating attics, driving less or not at all, buying locally produced food, using power bars to turn off the TV/DVD/Stereo 20 hours a day, etc, etc, etc. And when all of that is done, doing more...it is an iterative and ongoing process for everyone - individuals, companies, you name it.

The GreenNexxus Green Energy Pledge helps you identify ways to lower your carbon footprint and save money - it focuses on action. Collectively GreenNexxus members have pledged to save about 475,000 Kg (just over 1,000,000 lbs) of Greenhouse Gas emissions to date. One million is a big number - it will not tell you exactly what your carbon footprint is, but it will certainly help reduce your carbon footprint by making the big number grow! Sign up, add your pledge and be part of the team that makes this number grow, grow, grow!