Skip to content
Skip to main content

About this free course

Become an OU student

Download this course

Share this free course

The science of nuclear energy
The science of nuclear energy

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

4.1.2 Find your carbon footprint

Described image
Figure 5

You may have heard the term ‘carbon footprint’; this is a measure of how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of activities carried out.

Activity 1

Calculate your own carbon footprint by answering questions about your home, car, travel and eating habits. The calculator will give you a figure for your approximate carbon footprint – this is the number of tonnes of greenhouse gas that is released due to your actions.

The first section is about your house. If you have your utility bills to hand you can add in figures for your consumption. At the end you’ll see your footprint in comparison with the average in the UK and the target for the world.

Calculate your carbon footprint using Carbon Footprint’s carbon calculator [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (2016).

  • What was your carbon footprint?
  • What made the largest contribution to it?
  • In what ways could you reduce it?

In the next section, you can find out how the government plans to meet the carbon reduction targets.