Toronto Mayor Miller and Zerofootprint Launch New Footprint Simulator
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.15.07
Zerofootprint founder and TreeHugger contributor Ron Dembo and Toronto Mayor David Miller launched a new footprint simulator in New York at the C40 Large Cities conference . The New York Times calls it a carbon calculator but it is much more. In the Times Ron says “This is serious software, serious quantitative methods and social networking technology brought to the green world.” The Zerofootprint simulator doesn't just measure carbon, but our impacts in trees, waste and water as well as carbon.
The simulator is a collaboration with Business Objects, a maker of business intelligence software that is scalable so that entire cities can use it. “The idea,” Ron Dembo said, “is something that will address millions of people and is infinitely customizable to any culture or lifestyle.”
I have been playing with the simulator (conflict of interest note: I am working on some projects with ZeroFootprint and got an advance viewing) and have found it to be more sophisticated than any I have seen. You can compare your footprint to people in other cities, and through the social networking features compete with friends. The "what if" scenarios let you see the dramatic impact of small steps, (or the small impacts of big ones).
The Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, announced that the City of Toronto will be offered to employees and later to all citizens of Toronto. The real thing isn't live yet but you can play with a simulation at ::Zerofootprintcities.com
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I know this is a demo, but I'd hope they have an option under transportation for "I do not own a car" or "I bike". It sends the wrong message to assume everyone owns a car.
I tried it, however it does not allow for biodiesel as part of the calculation?
It's shocking how much CO2 is emitted by producing meat.
Yeah, I have my doubts about this calculator. If you zero out all of the fields, and mark yourself as a vegan, your foot print comes to 1.37 still higher than an "average" person in Cairo at 1.22. Does this seem realistic? Perhaps it is for a Toronto native.
Also, is Canada a country where the electricity bills are completely regulated? Or is it just Toronto? I ask because electricity usage is being defined by Canadian dollars spent, not watt-hours consumed.
Is there an allotment for hunters? I hunt most of my meat in season.What about garden's I prefer to grow my own?Also no bio-diesel or propane options.I live in a very rural location.Growing what i need or hunting it.
I expect that to get buy in from the cities, the real calculator would have much greater depth and multiple branching statements than currently shown in the simulation for all of us who are car-free and already doing many of the 'right' things.
For Brian: This is a cities calculator. So I doubt it's going to include hunting and other rural activities. Presumably if a regional municipality is interested it would be customized for that particular region.