Group 1 Lab 2 Carbon Footprint Calculator

Social Groups Engaged in Carbon Calculations Nature Conservancy Is a conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Inconvenient Truth Interactive movie extension intent on pushing a specific political agenda - “Political will is a renewable resource” U.C. Berkeley Institute of the Environment “The CoolClimate Calculator has been designed to help US households evaluate their complete climate footprints, including all direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation, household energy, food, goods and services.”

Nature Conservancy Relevant factions involved in production Relevant factions involved in the use of this technology Nature Conservancy members Concerned public Agenda There is a carbon offset program offered by the Nature Conservancy that is prominently displayed upon the completion of the interactive tool. As an organization the Nature Conservancy carefully avoids the radical leftist fringe and tries to remain neutral in its goal of preserving land and water for the benefit of natural communities. Preservation efforts that inherently involve controversy.

Inconvenient Truth Relevant factions involved in production The tool was co-developed by WE and TakePart and uses information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Terrapass, and other undisclosed sources Relevant factions involved in the use of this technology Concerned public Agenda Offers an opportunity to offset carbon through the Native Energy Program. Al Gore remains a political figure and the tool continues the political themes that arose in the movie. This tool is used to promote special interests.

UCB Institute of the Environment Relevant factions involved in production The Berkeley Institute of the Environment (BIE), which is co-directed by Professors Dan Kammen and Inez Fung. Christopher M. Jones was the lead researcher, who, along with graduate student Sally Maki developed the tool. Relevant factions involved in the use of this technology Concerned public Agenda Academic institution which remains fairly neutral in its agenda.

Not a stable technology Varying results show that there has not been a standard established to calculate carbon emissions. Even when the calculators ask similar questions, the results among calculators vary by several metric tons of carbon for individual output. The methods given for each calculator are very vague which makes comparing calculators difficult and invalidating calculators very easy. The consistency of all calculators must be improved, and transparent methods should be readily available to show how the calculator was created and how it should be used by individuals.

Nature Conservancy Non profit conservation organization, does not provide details about who developed their carbon calculator or what their instruments for carbon measurement are.

Inconvenient Truth GHG Protocol Mobile Combustion Tool Energy Information Administration Fuel efficiency of the car from a database provided by TerraPass, Electricity bills- “we take the mid-point of the estimated range and divide by the cost of electricity in their state (provided earlier in the calculator), which we get from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to come up with the electricity used”

Air Travel Different emissions factors are used for each flight length, as follows: Short flight: .64 lbs/mile * Medium flight: .45 lbs/mile * Long flight: .39 lbs/mile * Extended flight: .39 lbs/mile

Cool Climate Calculator Developed by researchers at the Berkeley Institute of the Environment (BIE) at the University of California, Berkeley. Default expenditure values from data at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Berkeley’s Calculations GHGs/mile [gCO2/mi] = Vehicle manufacturing emissions [gCO2/vehicle] / Vehicle lifetime [mi/vehicle] Miles driven [mi/yr] / Miles per gallon [mi/gal] = Fuel used [gal/yr] Fuel used [gal/yr] * (direct + indirect fuel emissions [gCO2/gal]) = Fuel emissions [gCO2/yr] Miles driven [mi/yr] * (Vehicle manufacturing emissions [gCO2/ton] * Vehicle size [ton] / Vehicle lifetime [mi]) = Vehicle manufacturing emissions [gCO2/yr] Total driving emissions = Fuel emissions [gCO2/yr] + Vehicle manufacturing emissions [gCO2/yr]

Feedback In addition to suggesting more accurate measures of an individual's carbon emissions, it would be helpful if the websites provided: application where one could enter specifics about each question (more options available to the consumer in general) 2. provide resources for the consumer to compare which companies they are using as a provider for electricity, gas (in the home), and gas used for transportation, ect.

This could make a difference in the amount of emissions used due to the policies of particular companies because each one is different and therefore offers more varieties in terms of consumer preference. 3. Also, I would suggest that feedback be given to the individual who is tracking their carbon emission, to better understand specific steps one can do to reduce that amount, based on the information given. (Maybe have the information blogged or e-mailed to the website for further correspondence to the individual.)

Calculator Design Different variables are used to calculate emissions in tons. Each calculator/technology has different standards for calculating the carbon footprint of the respondent. Nature Conservancy calculator uses the US per capita carbon footprint and subtracts or adds points depending on where the respondent lives and how they differ from the mean. Another calculator adds up all the components of the persons lifestyle and uses these variables to find the total carbon footprint. These differences in design reflect a lack of a generally accepted principle for calculating one's carbon footprint.

User Engagement Some carbon calculators are adaptable. These ones are able to provide a interface which can be completed very quickly, but also provides additional information that can be used to create a more in-depth response. One carbon calculator showed the incremental carbon footprint of carbon producing actions, this interface gives the user a more in depth explanation to their carbon footprint by explaining the each of the components of the carbon footprint. Most the calculators show how the users footprint compares to the nations average and then to the world's average. This engages the user by putting their carbon footprint in perspective with the global community and the nation.

What tradeoffs do designers of this technology make in designing their particular carbon footprint calculators?

-Simplicity allows for wider participation but less accuracy in results -Need boiler plate answers to certain questions Ex. Living in a certain #room, type of house, in a particular state, automatically gets you a certain carbon footprint

Nature Conservancy:(4 bed single family home California V. Alaska 4 v 9.2) Cool Climate: (California v. Alaska is 38 v. 41 at beginning) If data for your city was not available, your prices were not adjusted for cost of living differences. (Cool Climate)