BP's Carbon Footprint Calculator
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12. 6.05
The British Petroleum (BP) company is offering the world a "carbon footprint" calculator on it's website. A full run through takes only a few mintues, it's well designed for novice users, and the results give some indication of where next steps might be best taken. In that you are reading TreeHugger, we'll bet you've already done the easy stuff to reduce your "footprint" and are struggling with college payments, heating bills, and the like. Not much money left for solar panels or buying a high mileage car. What we're driving at is the question of whether rational tools like this calculator can actually motivate significant personal investment choices or whether they're just feel-good toys we use to show ourselves we've done the best we can? If so, the world also needs a calculator that would output a "Public Policy Advocacy Footprint". Corporations and NGO's would use it to determine the long range positive impact on society and the natural environment of trying to influence public policy one way or the other instead of letting the people speak directly to their legislators. Ideally the calculator would deduct the funds donated to Think Tanks from more constructive investments such as designing more efficient cars or emission controls, giving us a profile of action versus intent.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- I Don’t Think Alternative Energy Means What You Think It Means: Fred Pearce to BP
- New Carbon Footprint Standard Launched in the UK
- OpenEco.org Expands Tools for Detailed Carbon Tracking
- Universities Taking the Initiative to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
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the calulator approach to environmental problems has always striked me as a more top down than bottom up approach. it takes a lot of time, effort and money to get a standard framework for what a footprint is, and how to best calulate it. There's value in top down approaches, as is there's value in bottom up...the biggest question in my head is when and where do the two different pathes meet? in the middle.....?
In addition to the reservations expressed about calculators, this one appears to be unbelievably clunky. You can only choose 1-5 airline flights? Sorry, but with air travel, two is a lot different than five. The BP calculator said I emit 8 tonnes of CO2, but the Government of Canada's One Tonne Challenge calculator said that I emit 1.04 tonnes. Only seven tonnes difference. BAsed on the detail of the questions, I am guessing the problem is with BP. Quit greenwashing!!
39 Tonnes per year!! Yeah baby let's hear it for the 6 member family with the SUV, frequent air travel, and crappy insulation.
Well, if they'd tune up their car, it'd be more efficient, and not vibrate so much....
I agree. Too clunky. I do much more (good and bad) than I was able to select.