Your Carbon Footprint

Recently, a lot has been written about the environment and going green. One particular area of focus is on an individual’s carbon footprint. So what exactly is a carbon footprint? Simply put, it is a representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide). So, it is a measure of the impact we make individually on the earth by the choices we make regarding our lifestyles.

One’s total carbon footprint/emission quantification would include energy related emissions from human activities – that is, from heat, light, power and refrigeration and all transport related emissions from cars, freight and distribution, etc. By measuring the carbon footprint through such tools as carbon calculators, we can get a better sense of what the individual impact is and which parts of our lifestyle deserve the greatest attention.

How do you calculate your family’s carbon footprint? Here are some questions that are typically used to help determine a typical household carbon footprint:

• What part of the country do you live?
• How much square footage is your home and how many people live in your home?
• Do you use natural gas or electricity to heat your home and water?
• How many loads of laundry per week do you use you dryer for?
• Do you prepare meals on a range, stove, or oven?

You can also go to the following site to access a carbon calculator to calculate your carbon footprint. http://www.comfortableresponsible.org/carboncalculator.php.

Did you know that switching to natural gas appliances can reduce your home’s carbon footprint over 40%? It’s true. In a typical single family home in Georgia, the CO2 output for electricity is 16,663 lbs/year whereas the natural gas CO2 output is 8,852 lbs/year. Thus by using natural gas appliances, your carbon footprint can be reduced by 47% per year. That is the equivalent of driving your car 7,800 miles less in one year!

Natural gas has many advantages for our environment and lifestyles including reducing your carbon footprint. The best way to offset your carbon footprint is to plant some trees. Planting trees replenishes sustainable habitat for wildlife, enhances the natural landscape and is an excellent way to give back to the planet. And saving the planet is an initiative we can all agree on!

FireSide Natural Gas is committed to educating consumers about natural gas and the choices that they make for the environment. For more information you can contact them at 678-872-0250 or visit their website at www.FireSideNaturalGas.com.