Unit Resources

Here are links to some calculators you, your students and your community can use to determine how much they contribute to the amount of CO2 in the air, and tips on how to reduce that amount.

British Petroleum - this is a good one, with interesting graphics the students will enjoy.

The Environmental Protection Agency has multiple calculators, depending on how detailed you with to get. It is an excellent source. It also contains the following information with links:

For a more detailed analysis of fuel costs and emissions from your car, visit EPA’s and the Department of Energy’s Fuel Economy Web site.

For more detailed estimates of your home energy use (electricity, gas, and oil) and emissions, use ENERGY STAR’s Home Energy Yardstick tool. The ENERGY STAR site also provides ideas on a wide range of energy-saving products.

For information on climate change and waste, visit the Waste section of the What You Can Do section of this Web site. EPA has developed emissions calculators to help individuals and organizations determine the greenhouse gas impact of their purchasing, manufacturing, and waste management, which are available on the Climate Change and Waste Tools page.

A spreadsheet version (Microsoft Excel, 63kb) of the calculator is also available; it includes descriptions of the formulas used in each step of the calculator.

For an explanation of the assumptions and sources used by this calculator, click here. Keep in mind that average per person emissions estimates or per capita emissions estimates are usually derived from national estimates of GHG emissions, which include GHG emissions from all sources in the U.S., including industrial emissions (emissions from manufacturing of goods and services). As a result, if you compare your estimates from the personal emissions calculator to per capita emissions in the U.S., they may differ significantly.