CO2 Use

[veggiesosage]

(I just moved this from the 'nothing in particular' thread)

In the latest issue of Ethical Consumer there's a detailed Greenhouse gas calculator. Apparently the average Uk citizen uses 13,000kg per person of CO2 and the average US citizen 21000kg. The global average is 5800kg and India's is 1300kg.

The good news is that a typical British diet uses 2000kg per year and a vegan diet 1000kg. All look smug now:D

So how come, when I either walk, cycle or use public transport everywhere, have 100% green electricity and I'm a vegan, does mine come out to over 16000kg, 23% more than the average UK citizen?:eek: :eek:

Its amazing how much air travel adds onto your total. It says that for every hour per year you spend in the air add 350kg to your annual total. I did an average for the last 6 years which pretty much sums up my entire flying career and that works out at around 12 hours per year and I consider myself a very infrequent flyer (if only I hadn't gone for that holiday in New Zealand! Doh!) Without that I would be below the UK average but not a lot.

Also, 2400kg is added for your contribution to the 'state' ie health, government, schools etc but of course every UK citizen has that. They also reckon that 50% of your spend in £s on household stuff like clothes, furniture etc and entertainment translates into a kg of CO2 which I estimated at 2500kg. Central heating really whacks it up too and I suppose I'm inefficient on that cos I live on my own in 2bed semi detached. It reckons that, for every degree C above 17 degrees that you keep your home you add 10% to the base which was 3200kg.

Its terrifying. Here is a link to the online version

http://www.quakergreenaction.org.uk/...calculator.pdf (http://www.quakergreenaction.org.uk/lwp/files/14-Personal%20GHG%20calculator.pdf)

so you could all scare yourselves silly too. Put your answers up here if you do it!

[veggiesosage]

I put this up elsewhere but no-one seems to have read it yet!

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8222

Its got a link to a CO2 calculator which goves some interesting info, such as a vegan diet produces half as much CO2 as a typical British meat diet and it shows the vast amount of CO2 produced by air travel.

[mophoto]

i read it but can't do the conversions- mathematically challenged-
my big old house is a giant heat waster- maybe i don't want to know the truth:(

[veggiesosage]

Its one of the most depressing things I've read. Like I said I can't believe how much CO2 I produce despite the number of 'green' lifestyle habits I've got.

The message seems to be, don't fly anywhere. Thats literally nowhere at all, ever, don't buy anything and live in a shoebox with a small electric heater powered by wind energy.

It really has bugged me that I'm so much worse than the average UKer, oh well:)

[mophoto]

well at least europe seems to use more wind power than the u.s.- noticed that in germany. i am sure we use way more of everything:eek:

good thing i hate to fly- road trips are much more fun

[veggiesosage]

Well, as you can see the average US use is much higher than average UK use!

The calculator includes the individual's share of the 'state' use, in the UK 2400kg per year. It would be interesting to see what the US equivalent figure for that is, or other countries in Europe for that matter.

In UK we still have a tiny amount of wind power, despite being the windiest country in Europe!

[applecrumble]

The simple answer is do not fly, and boycott things that promote air travel such as those stupid "charity events" where people fly somewhere to go on a sponsored walk. If they really cared about the cause they would just donate the cost of the flight to the cause and stay at home.

There are other benefits of avoiding air travel, such as not ruining the places you visit, creating all that noise, transport tarmac etc.

Most travel is avoidable, it's like animal abuse, people love causing harm while pretending they're not doing so.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1745068,00.html

[Bunny]

Oh that was such fun!

I scored 11,172 which is good, but I get a lot of reductions because I share with three other people. (Who are all under the age of 6, but it doesn't specify age!). :D Great test, so interesting. I am sure that your score is only high veggie as you live on your own. All my biggest scores were divided by 4 straight off.

[Tray]

i searched on the net the average co2 emission of a Swiss:
6000kg.. maybe it's only because switzerland is only a small country but i think it's also because we have a lot of hydric electrical production, forests, and also things like subventions for the electrical cars and so on...
but for me it's really surprising

[veggiesosage]

I'd have been just under the 13,000kg average if it wasn't for my flying. But loads of people do much more flying than me so how come the average is that low?

I could probably do more accurate estimates for central heating and that, does anyone know how to convert gas usage in units to CO2 production?

Oh well, flyings out and looks like I should rent out me spare room!

[veggiesosage]

Its quite common these days to hear of concern about the developing world, and in particular China, increasing their CO2 output with increased industrialisation, like its their fault.

However, in most cases, and especially with China, most of this increased industrialisation is to feed their export markets producing cheap goods for the west.

Effectively, the west has simply exported its manufacturing industry and CO2 production to these countries which of course means that we, not they, are responsible for this increase.

I put a link to a CO2 calculator earlier in this thread and that included an estimate of 0.5kg CO2 for every £ spent on clothes, electrical items etc, ie general 'consumer society' stuff.

[veggiesosage]

According to Quaker green action, for every hour you spend in the air 350kg of CO2 is produced. For a typical house to be built 50,000kg of CO2 is produced and for driving you produce about 1kg CO2 for every 2.4miles although obviously this depends on the car. So 10,000 miles a year means nearly 4200 kg CO2, equivalent to about 12 hours flying.

http://www.quakergreenaction.org.uk/lwp/files/14-Personal%20GHG%20calculator.pdf

[herbwormwood]

A typical house to be built = 50,000kg of CO2 is produced!
Wow! So I heard right. So why are governments obsessed with new build and the property market?

[veggiesosage]

To be fair a new house will last at least 50 - 100 years and probably longer, so thats 500-1000kg per year CO2 dicvided by the number of people who live there, just for the building itself.

It is however relevant when deciding whether to renovate a house or demolish it and buy a new one. Particularly a concern in urban areas where older buildings can be done up.

[herbwormwood]

true, true:)
But bear in mind property trading where people are mainly buying a house to add to their "property portfolio" and people who have holiday homes and second, third, and more homes! And "low density" homes where huge areas of land are used for new detached homes, many in areas where there are no local facilities, thus involving the people who move there to travel to get anywhere, which seems to be the fashion nowadays!