CO2ribution
Measure your CO2 Contribution
Carbon-di-oxide is a key contributor to global warming, being one of the greenhouses gases. The CO2 is released from a variety of sources.
CO2 is also released as a result of many human activities. Some of these actions - like our breathing - are necessary for our survival. But there is a lot that we can do to control the carbon released to the atmosphere.
The everyday gadgets and appliances we use indirectly release CO2, because the electricity used in the gadgets and appliances is mostly produced using coal or natural gas, both of which release CO2 in the process. Some of the appliances - dryers for instance - thus indirectly are responsible for the release of large amounts of CO2. Similarly, by using a car or a motorbike we contribute large amounts of CO2 emissions.
How much CO2 is contributed directly or indirectly by the appliances we use? You can find this out by using the widget to the left.
The CO2ribution widget provides you a simple way by which you can measure how much CO2 your home or office contributes every day. By playing around with the numbers, you can find out how much each appliance contributes. Reduce (or increase) the “usage hours” to see the difference it makes.
Methodology and Formulae Used for the Widget
Definitions
Power (capacity) of a gadget is denoted in Watts (W) or kilowatt (KW). Power can be considered as the amount of energy (denoted in joules) used per second. Thus, 1 Watt = 1 Joule / second.
Electricity energy consumed is usually given in KWh. 1 KWh is the
amount of energy used by a power consumption of 1KW (1000 W) for 1 hour
(3600 seconds). Thus, 1KWh is equal to 3.6 million joules (1000*3600).
1 KW = 1000 W.
One unit of electricity (as we know it) is equal to 1 KWh.
The method that was followed in order to calculate the CO2 emissions and energy usage is as follows.
Energy usage
Data for the amount of energy used per hour (in KWh) per gadget was obtained from published sources. For instance, a 60 W capacity incandescent bulb used for one hour will consume an energy of (60/1000)*1 = 0.06 KWh.
CO2 emissions
Using data from published sources, it was determined that approximately 1.37 lbs (pounds) of CO2 are emitted for generating 1 KWh of energy at a power plant. Please note that this is an average figure. Coal-based power plants generate more than 1.37 lbs per KWh, while natural gas based power plants generate less than this number.
Using the estimate of 1.37 lbs per KWh, the amount of CO2 indirectly emitted by each of the gadgets is calculated, based on the energy used by the gadget. For instance, a 60 W bulb that uses 0.06 KWh of energy will indirectly result in 0.06*1.37 = 0.082 lbs of CO2 emissions per hour.