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What is your personal carbon footprint, and what are the implications of your carbon generating behaviors for meeting future carbon emissions target? How might changes be brought about in individual and societal carbon behaviors and what changes might there be in New Zealand by 2020 and 2050 as a result? This report outlines the principles behind carbon footprints and their reduction on both a societal, national and global scale. Methods in which carbon emissions can be reduced are explored in the household and commercial sector.
Dominating causes of arbor emissions have been discovered as mostly commercial. It has come to attention that dramatic changes predominantly in the farming industry throughout New Zealand via proactive government policies, are required in order to reach national and international climate change goals. Christopher has been identified as an ideal candidate for an environmental reform which other cities should be urged to mimic. Introduction: The purpose of this report is to develop a better understanding and insight into issues surrounding carbon emissions. I will firstly calculate my own carbon footprint room the recent months passed.
This will give me an indication of factors that contribute to an individual’s carbon footprint, alongside what my carbon footprint is in comparison to the average New Zealand. I will then look into the implications of such results. Average carbon footprints on a household scale and national scale must be analyses. Methods in which total emissions can be reduced should be considered and therefore it is only logical that subjects such as national and international climate change targets (and the current policies induced at present in an effort to et these targets) will be looked at in depth.
This report is overview of climate change and its implications and the necessary procedures that could be undertaken in order to reduce carbon emissions on multiple geographical scales. Calculations: There are two options for carbon calculators which I could use for calculating my personal footprint: Carbonized Calculator and the I-J National Energy Foundation Calculator. I will be using the Carbonized Calculator as I feel it takes more factors into account when recording data to process into carbon emissions and therefore a more accurate reading.
For example Carbonized enquires about the amount of rubbish/waste the household emits whereas the I-J NEFF Calculator asks how many bedrooms there are in the house and forms an estimate from that which is far less accurate. However I-J NEFF holds the strength in which is accommodates for both household and individual calculations. It also records my data in units of measurement wanly are more easily estimates Tort myself considering It uses unlit commonly used in New Zealand I. E. Kilograms, Litter, and New Zealand Dollars. The UK National Energy Foundation Carbon Calculator uses units commonly used in the
United Kingdom such as tones, miles and British Pound. Overall the Carbonized calculator accommodates better for New Zealand energy users as it uses information that is easier to generate. Finally, the Carbonized can calculate exact carbon emissions on not only an annual basis but also a monthly basis, which in this assignment is required. Results: * For the month spanning February to March, the calculated household footprint was 347. 71 (Keg CA -e). This gave me an individual carbon footprint of 1 15. 903 (Keg CA -e). * For the month spanning April to May, the calculated household footprint as 330. 2 (Keg CA -e). This gave me an individual carbon footprint of 110. 006 (Keg CA -e). It was unexpected that the month spanning February/March had high carbon emissions than that of April/May. This year’s average temperatures for February/March in Palmettos North (where the house from which calculations were made is located) were as assumed warmer than that of April/May (according to www. Interstice. Com) so the difference in energy use can’t be a result of household heating. Therefore the reason must be a result of the number of members staying in the household at the time.
During the period spanning February/March there were in fact more people using the houses facilities than in April/May while not necessarily living in the household. This could have in turn increased the overall energy usage. The Implications To best understand the issues surrounding carbon emissions and climate change we need to put information into perspective. Figure 1 illustrates the changes in carbon dioxide emissions over time and also average emissions per capita. From 1980 – 2006, the average emission per capita of carbon dioxide was 9. 8 million metric tones. That can be converted to 9. 8 billion (Keg CA -e). This meaner that the average New Zealand was emitting 31506410 (keg CA -e) on average per month, which when looking at my own individual carbon emissions calculations seems unlikely as consumers from the household sector are using small proportions of the full carbon emissions per capita. If you look at figure 2 you can see that the commercial sector such as agriculture and industrial processes make up the domination proportions of total greenhouse gases emitted in New Zealand.