Carbon footprint calculators can determine a businesses impact on the environment. Taking into account such things as automobile use, consumer purchases and food consumption, a carbon footprint calculator estimates the percentage of Earth's resources needed to sustain consumption patterns, as well as the amount of greenhouse gasses such pattern produce.

Carbon is a byproduct of manufacturing, transportation and other forms of production. It is either recycled, disposed of, or discharged into the atmosphere as pollution. The purpose of using carbon footprint calculators information is to identify harmful spending habits and production processes.

There are many websites that contain a carbon footprint calculators list. The following will help you find carbon footprint calculators.

1. Visit a carbon footprint calculators provider to calculate the impact of your spending and habits.

2. Use carbon footprint calculators information to change your business expenditures.

3. Integrate carbon footprint calculators into a green business plan.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use a carbon footprints calculators provider to calculate shipping fleet emissions

Industry must become more environmentally friendly to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. Use a carbon footprint calculator to find out what kind of impact your shipping fleet has on the environment. Whether the fleet is a few vans to a hundreds of trucks, business owners can reduce their carbon footprints by going green.

I recommend: Carbon Neutral's carbon footprint calculators can help business owners reduce their transportation fleet's contribution to global climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency offers businesses and individuals the opportunity to put a green fleet of vehicles on the road.

Select your region from a carbon footprint calculators list

Different countries have different carbon footprint calculators. The impact on the global climate is different for developed countries than it is for developing countries. The developing world operates under a different set of rules, according to international greenhouse gas emission treaties. This is also true for American states, as different states have different emission reduction laws, green industry initiatives and energy usage taxes.

I recommend: Conservation International provides regionally-focused calculations for carbon emissions. Former Vice President Al Gore's ClimateCrisis.net has a carbon footprint calculators directory for all 50 states.

Find a business-specific carbon footprint calculator

Business can lead global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The carbon footprint calculators list continues to grow, with calculators designed specifically for business. These calculators tend to be more detailed, since there are more variables to consider. In addition to the carbon footprint you leave at the office, a business calculator will also take transportation and industrial emissions into account.

I recommend: Carbon Footprint offers a tool for business owners. Seattle.gov offers a detailed worksheet for calculating your business's environmental impact.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Once you use carbon footprint calculator to find out exactly what kind of impact your business has, consider giving to a carbon offset program. Even though you might be limited as to how much your business can reduce greenhouse gas, these organizations use your money to fund strategies that reduce carbon emissions worldwide.

Carbon footprint calculators are useful in that they show you a representation of what your "carbon footprint" is. Carbon footprint calculators estimate your CO2 emissions with a simple quiz that asks questions about your lifestyle and habits. Most of the questions are easy for you to calculate. Sample of questions used by carbon footprint calculators include:

1. What kind of car do you drive?
2. How many miles per day do you drive for work?
3. How many flights do you take per year?
4. How much is your monthly electric bill?
5. How much is your monthly gas bill?

You can use carbon footprint calculations for your personal use, or for your business. You can also use the data to form a creative team building exercise by reducing the carbon impact of your office and encouraging your employees to cut down on energy.

Carbon footprint calculators also incorporate suggestions on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Here are some easy ways:

• Turn down your thermostat during winter nights by a degree or two.
• Turn up your thermostat during summer days by a degree or two.
• Start recycling glass and plastic, along with your aluminum and paper.
• Buy your produce at a local organic store or farmers' market.
  
• Skip your double latte just once a week.
• Unplug appliances (like your computer) when you're not using them.
• Use cold water only when washing your clothes.
  

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Calculate your personal carbon footprint

Try different carbon calculators for person use. Some of them may yield slightly different results - find out as much as you can from each calculator and then make a plan from there.

I recommend: The carbon calculator at ClimateCrisis.net, the official site for An Inconvenient Truth, is a great calculator that gives you your C02 emissions in tons as you fill out the form. It's meant only for people who live and work in the U.S. The calculator at Carbon Footprint can be used by international citizens, and is much more detailed, with questions about diet, recycling and buying habits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has an online carbon foot print calculator and also gives information on how to find the fuel efficiency of the car you drive. Go to FuelEconomy.gov to find out the city and highway MPG of your car, and the estimated carbon footprint your car is leaving. The popular BP Carbon Footprint Calculator gives great information on how lifestyle choices affect your carbon footprint.

Find a carbon footprint calculator for your business

Some calculators are made specifically to calculate the impact of a small or mid-sized business. Use these calculators to get an idea of the carbon footprint of your business, and as a starting point to begin to reduce your environmental impact.

I recommend: Register with Carbon Footprint to get a username and password for their free business carbon foot print calculator. TerraPass offers a calculator for business use, as well. The CarbonNeutral Company offers the best carbon footprint calculator for business use, and doesn't require any personal information like your email address. TheGreenOffice.com offers a calculator and much more on how to green your business.

Get carbon footprint calculations for team building

Committing yourself and your entire office is a great way to build team spirit and boost morale.

I recommend: Go on a Low Carbon Diet and challenge your coworkers or employees to do the same. Hire the team building experts at The Ant & The Grasshopper to implement a "green" team building exercise. Read this news release from MotivAction, which explains a unique approach to team building within business seminars. The process includes using carbon footprint calculators, and motivating companies to go carbon neutral. Go to their website to find out more about their work in Employee Engagement.

Now reduce that big ol' footprint of yours!

Your carbon footprint calculator will likely explain things to you as you fill out the short form. Take the hint.

I recommend: Carbon Clear helps businesses calculate and reduce their environmental impacts. The company also provides a tip sheet on easy ways to reduce your carbon emissions. Read Top 10 Ways to NOT Screw the Earth at Work, which gives offices helpful advice in curbing their CO2 impact, including the following advice:

• Use energy-efficient lighting
• Join a carpool
• Use laptops instead of desktops

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Definitely use multiple carbon footprint calculators to get a feel for your impact. Remember that it's just a representation, not an actual exact amount.
• •  Consider using carbon offsets as part of your commitment to curbing your carbon impact.

Everyone leaves a carbon footprint caused by daily living and working, which takes its toll on the Earth. Measuring a business or person's impact on the environment is the first step to making greener choices. Offsetting your carbon footprint may be easier than you think. Whether it's supporting green energy or increasing your vehicle's fuel efficiency, a few simple choices can lead to a more sustainable future. You may even wish to calculate your footprint to gain further perspective on environmental impact.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is a measurement of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions you, your household or your business produce. Scientists usually measure carbon footprints in metric tons of carbon dioxide produced per year.

I recommend: The Nature Conservancy offers a simple carbon footprint calculator to help you become more aware of how much various activities impact the environment. Carbon Footprint has online calculators for businesses and households, and it suggests resources for reducing your impact.

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. One way people produce them is by burning fossil fuels for energy. The most common greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, or CO2, but there are many others, such as methane.

I recommend: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a detailed breakdown of individual greenhouse gases.

Carbon offsets

Carbon offsets are those actions that offset your carbon dioxide emissions, such as investing in renewable energy, protecting forest land or driving your car less.

I recommend: NativeEnergy helps you calculate carbon offsets for your home or business.

Green power

Green power refers to electricity produced by renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal or hydropower.

I recommend: The U.S. Department of Energy Green Power Network provides information on these technologies and connects consumers with opportunities to buy green power.

Fuel economy

Different types of cars and different drivers get differing levels of fuel economy. You may be surprised to learn how simple measures like properly inflated tires can substantially affect fuel economy. People usually measure fuel economy in terms of miles per gallon (MPG).

I recommend: Read more about the importance of fuel economy and how you can maximize yours at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ecological footprint

Another way of calculating your impact on the environment is to calculate an ecological footprint. An ecological footprint gives an idea of the amount of land that various lifestyle choices use.

I recommend: Check out the footprint calculator at Global Footprint Network to learn how much land is needed to support your lifestyle.