Carbon Footprint Series

The Oregonian is running a series on personal carbon footprints. Patrick O'Neill talks about how to reduce 200 pounds of CO2 by changing your breakfast routine. He continues with a piece on reducing impact beyond your home. There is also a very nice pdf of the Carbon Footprint of One Home (or here).

The typical Portland home of 2,000 sq. feet emits over 40,000 pounds of CO2 each year. The choices we make can have a dramatic effect. Little things can have a major impact. For example, turning your computer totally off, rather than letting it go to "sleep" mode can cut almost 400 pounds of CO2 each year. A common "wall wart" the cell phone charger is responsible for about 100 pounds of CO2 - unplug it when not in use. Exterior lights are responsible for almost 700 pounds a year - get energy efficient bulbs - or even use the solar lights where you can.

Take a look at the pdf file and see where you can reduce your footprint.

You can also checkout Eco Footprint to see your overall environmental footprint