Carbon Footprint
Carbon footprint analysis is a subset of ecological footprint analysis. It measures the spatial area needed to absorb the carbon emissions associated with energy used by a given population, industry, business, or activity as well as the weight of those emissions. Increasingly, carbon footprint analysis is being used as a metric for evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives designed to combat global warming.
Some recent examples of our carbon footprint work include:
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Cool Congregations Calculator
CSE and Kinga Dow Productions built an on-line carbon footprint calculator designed to promote climate friendly initiatives at congregations throughout the United States. The project was sponsored by The Regeneration Project and Interfaith Power and Light. The calculator is one of the broadest available, taking into consideration congregation and staff travel, facility energy use, waste, procurement, grounds management, and offsets. TRP is using the calculator as the basis for a Cool Congregations Carbon Footprint Challenge. Visit:
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Carbon Footprint Analysis of the Delong Mountain Terminal Project (DMTP)
The DMTP has the potential to increase carbon emissions associated with construction activities, shipping, fuel used at the mine, and fuel consumed by regional villages. This report discusses the legal basis for disclosing this carbon footprint increase. We then identify the magnitude of economic damages or social costs associated with this increase, the carbon sequestration spatial biocapacity required to absorb the increase (footprint), and the overall carbon intensity (carbon footprint per $ of economic activity) of the DMTP. Read:
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Carbon Footprint Analysis for Kaiser Permanente Food Procurement Alternatives in Northern California
CSE (formerly Ecology and Law Institute) worked with Community Alliance with Family Farmers to develop then analyze the environmental benefits of a local food procurement program for a system of 19 hospitals managed by Kaiser Permanente in northern California. CSE's analysis demonstrated that modest measures to substitute fruits and vegetables grown by California farmers for foods imported from Mexico, South, and Central America could reduce the carbon footprint associated with foods procured for Kaiser's hospitals by 20%. Read:
