The Math
This climate+ package includes one year of driving, eating, shopping, phone
use, household energy use, Netflix and vacations.
| Driving |
3.815 MT C02 |
| Food |
2.5 MT CO2 |
| Energy |
7.5 MT CO2 |
| Phones |
5.6 MT CO2 |
| Shopping |
6.21MT CO2 |
| Flights |
3.3097 MT CO2 |
| Hotel |
1.085 MT CO2 |
| Netflix |
1.752 MT CO2 |
| Total |
31.7717 MT CO2 |
Driving
The average car uses about 404 grams of CO2 per mile. To translate from
miles to kilometres, we divide miles by 1.609, and simultaneously divide
grams by 1.609. This means the average car uses about 251 grams of C02 per
kilometer.
(divide by 1.609) 1: 404grams (divide by 1.609)
0.6214: 251grams
Then we multiply 251 grams of C02/kilometer by 15,200 kilometres to see how
many grams of CO2 are used per year.
251 grams of C02 / kilometer x 15,200 km = 3,815,200 grams of C02 per year
In order to change grams to metric tons, we multiply grams by 0.0000001.
Once we do this we get 3.185 metric tons of C02 per year.
3,815,200 grams C02 per year = 3.815 MT C02 per year
Food
The average person, with a diet including meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables
and cereals emits 2.5 MT of CO2 per year.
Energy
The average household emits 7.5 MT of CO2 per year
including laundry, showers, heating and cooling and appliances.
Phones
If a person uses their phone for one hour per day over a year they would
emit 1.4 tons of CO2.
The average person spends 3-5 hours per day on their phone. Which means over
a year the average individual would emit 5.6 tons of CO2 for phone usage.
1.4 tons CO2 x 4 hours = 5.6 MT CO2
Shopping
Let’s assume the average person shops for clothing about once per month.
We know the average plane emits 115grams of carbon per kilometer, let’s
assume the clothing came from 4500km away.
115 grams CO2 per km x 4500km x 12 months = 6,210,000 grams of CO2
In order to change grams of CO2 to metric tons of CO2 we use the conversion
factor 0.0000001
6,210,000 grams CO2 x 0.000001 = 6.21 MT CO2
Travel
Let’s assume this person has two weekend getaways per year, and one larger
trip.
Flights
Planes emit 115g CO2 per kilometer. We use the conversion factor 0.000001 to
get from grams to metric tons and we get 0.000115 MT of CO2 per kilometer of
air travel.
115grams x 0.000001 = 0.000115 MT Carbon
Let’s assume that over the year this person flies from Vancouver to Toronto
twice per year, which is 6,710km round trip and 13,420 for two trips. This
person also flies to Europe once per year, this year they go to Denmark
which is 7,680km one way, and 15,360km both ways. In total, this couple is
flying 28,780km per year.
13,420km + 15,360km = 28,780km
In order to get the total emissions, we multiply 0.000115 by 28,780 km and
get 3.3097MT CO2.
0.000115 MT x 28,780= 3.3097 MT CO2
Hotels
Hotels emit about 31kg of CO2 per room per night. Assuming this individual
couple stays at hotels 35 nights per year during their vacations, and each
night emits 31kg CO2, they will emit a total of 930kg of CO2 from hotels.
35 x 31kg = 1,085kg CO2
In order to change this number from kilograms of CO2 to metric tons of CO2
we use the conversion factor 0.001.
1,085kg CO2 x 0.001 = 1.085 MT CO2
Netflix
Every half hour of Netflix watched emits 1.6kg of CO2. Since the average
person watches 1.5 hours of Netflix per day, we multiply emissions per hour,
by hours per day to get total emissions per day.
1.5 hours per day is equal to 3,30 minute segments.
1.6kg CO2/ half hour x 3 half hours = 4.8kg CO2 per day
To find the annual total we multiply emissions per day by 365 days in the
year, this calculation gives us 1,752 kg CO2 over one year.
4.8kg of CO2 x 365 days = 1,752 kg CO2
In order to change kilograms into metric tons, we use the conversion factor
of 0.001 tons for every kilogram. When we multiply 1,752 g by the conversion
factor, we get 1.752 MT of CO2 emissions per year.
1,752kg CO2 x 0.001 = 1.752 MT CO2 per year
Total
In total over one year the average person would emit
31.7717 MT CO2
3.815 MT + 2.5 MT + 7.5 MT + 5.6 MT + 6.21 MT + 3.3097 MT+ 1.085 MT + 1.752
= 31.7717 MT CO2
