GreenDeal 101 is our series of blog articles written specifically to help newcomers to the Green scene understand some of the terminology and issues in the world of sustainability.
As you have no doubt heard, levels of CO2, methane, and other gasses are rapidly building within the earth’s atmosphere, causing it to trap more of the sun’s energy and warm the earth. (The Greenhouse Effect). Carbon Footprint refers to “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” (UK Carbon Trust 2008)
This calculation is used as a measurement tool for companies to reduce their effect on the environment, and is even beginning to make its way into the shopping environment as well.
Calculating a Carbon Footprint can be very complex. Consider the case of a manufactured product, where the Carbon Footprint may include everything from emissions from the mining equipment used to dig the raw materials out of the ground to the manufacturing of the package it comes in, to the truck that brought it to the store.
You may have heard the term ‘Zero Carbon Footprint’ or ‘Carbon Neutral’. This is a claim made when emissions are compensated for, usually through the purchase of ‘Carbon Offsets’, which fund activities like methane capture and wind farms, that remove or replace an equivalent amount of emissions from the atmosphere.
In the United Kingdom, one organization has even started bringing Carbon Labels to store shelves to help consumers understand the life cycle carbon emissions or carbon footprint embodied in a product. What’s the Green Deal has no plans at present for such a labeling program at London Drugs, (we don’t have the staff or resources to do that kind of scientific research), but it is good to be aware of the effects of our product decisions. Just thinking about carbon footprint can point out some surprising differences in the choices we might make.
For instance, you may decide to shop a little greener by choosing a product made from recycled materials. But if that product is manufactured overseas, a locally-produced item made from non-recycled material may have a similar or lower carbon footprint.
Just Google ‘Carbon Footprint’ if you want to know more, and stay tuned for other GreenDeal 101 blog articles.
