Jane Powerson Ireland's carbon footprint
Last time I calculated my carbon footprint, I came up with a tonnage that was a fair bit below average. Naturally, I awarded myself several green pats on the back. But now, I've just learned that British carbon calculators aren't calibrated for our particular circumstances (I was using one because there are no really comprehensive Irish calculators). In the UK, electricity is partially generated by nuclear power, with less oil and peat being burned than here in Ireland; also, our mix of natural gas is different from that in Britain. These are just two reasons why our personal carbon dioxide emissions cannot be accurately measured by a British calculator.
The vexatious truth is that when you tot up your carbon footprint using one of the popular online (British) calculators, the figure is out by 12 to 36 per cent - in the wrong direction. We're treading more heavily on this planet than we thought.
This information comes to me from Tricia Kenny, a quantity surveyor who is doing an master's degree in environmental sciences in Trinity College. The object of her thesis is to produce a carbon footprint calculator specifically designed for Irish households. It will measure CO2 emissions from energy usage, travel and waste generation; it will also calculate how much methane and nitrous oxide we are producing in our day-to-day lives. These last two gases are major contributors to climate change, but are not measured by online footprint calculators. Not surprisingly, Irish organisations involved in sustainability have already expressed interest in the project.
In order to complete her thesis, Kenny needs our help to find out how much carbon dioxide is actually being emitted by Irish households. Several dozen people have already completed her questionnaire, but she needs another crowd of volunteers - and who could be better than a bunch of Planet Matters readers? The form takes about half an hour to complete, and you'll need your utility bills and travel details from 2006.
If you e-mail Kenny at kennytr@tcd.ie (in the next day or two, please, as her thesis deadline is marching ever closer), she'll send the questionnaire as a simple Excel document. However, if you are not comfortable entering the figures on a computer, she can send the form by post. But you'll still need to get someone to e-mail her with your address.
In return for your help, Kenny will calculate and include a breakdown of
your carbon footprint. As she rightly points out, the first step to reducing our carbon emissions is to know exactly what we're producing and how. Which is why I'm about to spend the next half hour filling in some very important boxes.