Carbon footprint online calculators

I have tried two of them, the EarthLab and the Google.co.uk one (Check out the direct link on their calculator in one of google's link windows on this blog under the title "Environment & CO2").

Both of them are of course simplified to the maximum. My results are very green indeed - they left me in disbelief (quite literally I am afraid). Google's one shows my footprint is 1,91 tons of CO2 per year, Earthlab tells me I emit 1,95 tons. My unscientific estimation is that one has to count on at least 0,5t + or - variation possibility if not more because the info you put in is so scarce and vague.

Yet, it is some estimation and an interesting online click-toy. In this way it serves as something of a reminder for many. They do not help me in this way though and even put me in danger to compare myself with "those other big CO2 sinners" out there whom you can find on the google.co.uk map. Anyway, I am quite aware that living on a student-budget and riding a bike around Cambridge these days makes me a low CO2 footprint "hero" if I want it or not! :)

(Did you know that Cambridge is the most "bicycling city" in the UK? More about that in one of the next posts)