Ecological Footprint

How accurate is a carbon footprint calculator? Does it perhaps divert our attention from the broader impacts of our lifestyle? 

The ecological footprint is an approach that estimates how much land is needed to support an individual's lifestyle. It is a broad measure of resource use which highlights where consumption is exceeding environmental limits. The earth’s biocapacity is estimated to be about 2.1 hectares per person.

Measuring the ecological footprint can also help an organisation measure, monitor and reduce its environmental impacts. 

   How can we measure our footprint?

Online ecological footprint calculators

• Individual: http://www.bestfootforward.com/resources/ecological-footprint/
• Individual and group: http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/calculators/default.asp

Online carbon footprint calculators

Tracy at Cape Town Oracle conducted research on a range of online carbon footprint calculators and found that most of the South African options tend to be simplistic. By contrast, she found some UK and US calculators which go into more detail, taking into account factors like whether or not you are vegetarian, what goods and services you use (for example, growing your own vegetables, or buying food that is locally produced, or buying food that has been transported long distances) and your household income - bearing in mind that big earners often have the largest carbon footprint!

Here are some of the South African online carbon footprint calculators:

• Project 90x2030 calculator - a comprehensive calculator intended to give a high level of accuracy (requires some detail regarding your mode of travel, waste management, energy & water consumption) at http://www.90x2030.org.za/calculator
• Food & Trees For Africa Carbon Calculator - using Global Greenhouse Gas Reporting Protocols at http://www.trees.co.za/carboncalculator/index3.php
• CO2balance calculator - carbon dioxide emission calculators at http://www.co2balance.co.za/co2calculators/
• BP calculator - non-flash carbon footprint calculator at http://www.bp.com/carboncalculator.do?categoryId=9024878&contentId=7046374
• Forum for Economics & Environment calculator - CO2 calculator at http://www.econ4env.co.za/calculator/calculator.html

Here are some of the US and UK online calculators:

• The Berkeley Institute of the Environment (US) - carbon footprint calculator at http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/
• The Nature Conservancy (US) - carbon footprint calculator at http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/
• Act on CO2 (UK) - calculator at http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html
• WWF (UK) calculator - footprint calculator at http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Read more about the analysis of online carbon footprint calculators at http://www.capetownoracle.co.za/2008/07/5-south-african-online-carbon-calculators/ or http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/EnvironmentalResourceManagement/EnergyEfficiency/Pages/CarbonFootprintCalculator.aspx

Want to TAKE ACTION?

Go to the Rhodes University ENVIRONMENT front page. Suggestions/Questions? Contact environment(at)ru.ac.za