EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons.

Detailed explanation-2: -The major contributors to carbon footprints are: food, consumption, transportation, and household energy.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mobile combustion – greenhouse gas emissions from company vehicles (owned or controlled). Fugitive emissions – emission leaks from sources such as refrigeration and air conditioning units. Process emissions – emissions from industrial processes and onsite manufacturing.

Detailed explanation-4: -“A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product.”1 It is calculated by summing the emissions resulting from every stage of a product or service’s lifetime (material production, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life).

Detailed explanation-5: -A carbon footprint is composed of two parts, a primary and secondary footprint. The primary footprint is the sum of the direct carbon dioxide emissions of burning of fossil fuels, such as the domestic energy consumption by furnaces and waters heaters, and transportation, such as automobiles and airplane travel.