One of the most comprehensive greenhouse gas calculators ever was launched today, allowing members of the public to add up the total carbon cost of their their household set-up, food choices and travel patterns.
As global negotiations on how to tackle climate change move at a glacial pace and domestic politicians bicker about the best policy response, greenhouse gas calculators allow individuals to assess their impact and change their own behaviour now.
The Australian Greenhouse Calculator, developed by researchers at RMIT, allows users to develop a big picture view of their energy consumption patterns.
“My view is that people need to be empowered to make change,” said project leader Alan Pears, a lecturer in energy efficiency at RMIT’s School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning.
The free website, which was supported by the Victorian government, asks users a series of questions about their household size, types of appliances used, laundry set-up, food consumption and wastage patterns, shopping habits, heating and cooling, air travel and a range of other energy-consuming behaviours.
The quick version of the survey calculates your total greenhouse gas contribution and shows how you rate against an average Australian household and a ‘green’ Australian household.
A more comprehensive version of the survey factors in details such as the quality of the seals on your fridge door.
“One of the things we find abut energy and household greenhouse gas emissions generally is people are not well informed and what makes a difference may not be the obvious things,” said Mr Pears.
“If you look at the food area, some meat products have lower emissions than others and some vegetarian options have higher emissions than others. It’s not just ‘meat versus vegetarian’. There’s a lot of flexibility in there if your main focus is climate change impact,” he said.
The calculator also allows users to work out what would be more efficient — changing behaviour or investing in new household infrastructure, such as solar power.
“And someone who is a tenant or has a low income can explore the behavioural stuff while people who are about to renovate can go through and say, ‘What will we do about our lighting?’” he said.
Mr Pears said the project was developed over three years and that the calculator is drawing on an enormous data set compiled from government and industry sources.
For those who have already kitted out their house with the most energy efficient technology, the online tool allows them to feel deservedly smug.
“What this does is allow them to confirm they are on the right track and feel some sense of satisfaction because they can benchmark themselves.”
John McLean
logged in via email @connexus.net.au
This is all irrelevant because no-one has even shown credible empirical evidence to support the claim that CO2 emissions cause significant and dangerous warming.
In fact the evidence is to the contrary because there's been no warming for 10 years despite having more CO2 in the atmosphere then we had from 1977 to 1997 when temperatures did rise.
To put it simply, claims of significant CO2-driven warming do not accord with the observations.
This CO2 calculator will go the way of pet rocks.
Paul Richards
Paul Richards is a Friend of The Conversation.
It's here, the consensus is that of acceptance, you literally are vastly outnumbered.
I guess it's time to get used to being an outsider John, some how I get the impression you are comfortable with that.
Just wait for it, Douglas will chirp in next with his gravity thesis.
Felix MacNeill
Environmental Manager
Despite the sad, irrational and dystopic postings above, this is a useful initiative. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Felix MacNeill
Environmental Manager
Sorry Paul - that should have been 'posting' in the signular (I'm so used to the redoubtable Douglas piping up alongside John, that I must have anticipated it!)
Jeremy Worringham
@John: I would argue that a vast amount of credible empirical evidence has been gathered over decades that conclusively proves a link between elevated CO2 and significant climate change.
Your claim that there has been no warming for the past ten years is not supported by evidence.
To put it simply, claims of significant CO2-driven warming are in line with observations.
This CO2 calculator will no doubt prove a useful tool for people who are interested in moving past non-facts and making educated choices about what they buy and how they live.
@Timothy: Please get real.