Why We Need Energy A Brief History of Energy Energy Conservation Power Source Types of Energy Energy & Environment Greenhouse Gases What's up with Carbon? Driving CO₂ Production Trees to the Rescue Carbon Cycle My Carbon Footprint? Shrinking Footprints How Do I Help?

What is my Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon produced by all of your activities. For instance, producing the electricity that powers your video game may be putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is given off when you ride in a gasoline powered car.

You can think of your carbon footprint as a measure of your impact on the environment. Having a small carbon footprint is better than having a large one, and a good goal is becoming what is known as “carbon neutral.” That’s when the combination of all your activities releases the same amount of CO₂ as they absorb. When you are “carbon neutral,” your carbon footprint is zero.

Using less energy reduces our carbon footprint. An added advantage of using less energy is it can save money too!