Introduction

Whole Systems Approach to Ecological Design

Appropriate Technology: Water

Organic Agriculture and Local Food

Appropriate Technology: Energy

Green Building & Retrofitting

Carbon Footprints

A few facts:

• At start of industrial revolution the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was 280 ppm
• By the late 1950’s the CO2 concentration had risen to 315 ppm
• It is now 380 ppm
• And it is rising by 2 ppm annually
• There is a general consensus in the scientific community that the maximum we need to target is 450 ppm
• At the current rate this will be reached in 35 years, although the current concentration rate is accelerating in many regions
• Carbon footprints vary by large amounts between nations.  In the USA it is ~20 tCO2pp/pa (20 CO2 tonnes per person and per annum), while the UK’s carbon footprint is 10.62 tCO2pp/annum and some African countries have footprints of <0.5 tCO2pp/pa.

It is important to measure the footprint either as a consumption number or from production within a country or bioregion or community.  Mixing the two methods can read to double counting or omissions.

The chart to the side is for 2000.  The footprints for China and India are now rising rapidly.

• Carbon cycle
• Climate change
• Carbon footprint
• Carbon emissions reduction
• Effects of climate change
• Peak Oil

Carbon footprints in tonnes of CO2 per capita per annum from 0 to 94 tCO2pp/pa
Click on image to enlarge