The more miles per gallon your car gets, the less carbon dioxide it will pump into the air. If you do drive, however, fuel efficiency is the biggest indicator of your car’s carbon footprint. Cutting down even a fraction of that could make a huge difference. The average American releases 19 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Taking the bus, walking, or riding your bike could account for hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide a day. The Lowdown: Cars and the Carbon FootprintĬan the car you drive, the condition the car is in, or even choosing to drive it make a difference in carbon footprint? The answer is yes.Įvery gallon of gas burned releases 24 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. How Does Your Car Affect Your Carbon Footprint?.Map of Carbon Footprints from Business Insider.List of Countries by Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Wikipedia.However, large amounts of CO2 emissions outstrip the ability of these natural sources to exchange CO2 for oxygen.Ĭhanges in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere changes the amount of heat retained by the earth’s atmosphere (the “greenhouse effect”), which in turn can effect changes in the global climate. īy comparison, electricity accounts for 37 percent of total emissions, industry 15 percent, and residential and commercial use 10 percent - less than a third that of automobiles nationwide.Ĭarbon dioxide emissions are offset by natural features of the environment, like forests, which remove CO2 from the atmosphere. are around 5 million kilotons, meaning cars account for 1,550,000 kilotons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Transportation accounts for 31 percent of the annual carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. Your car has a carbon footprint, dependent on the vehicle’s fuel consumption and driving distance. That cheeseburger at your favorite restaurant has a carbon footprint: raising the beef and wheat and operating the restaurant all involves greenhouse gases. Your home has a carbon footprint if you use oil, coal or gas to heat it. Carbon footprint is usually measured in tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. So what exactly is a carbon footprint? In simplest terms, carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by various human activities within a given time frame.
0 kommentar(er)
