fuel guzzlin'

 Cross country adventures '11

I was inspired once again to re-visit my plan to document my carbon footprint during a road trip I took with two friends last summer. Thus, I dug out my journal from beneath my bed and got to work. Using an online calculator provided from carbonfootprint.com, I was able to calculate the carbon footprint left by our vehicle over the course of the road trip. Over the course of seven days, covering 3,406.4 miles, we left a carbon foot print of roughly 1.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

So what does this mean? In 2010 it was determined that the average North American generated 20 tons of CO2 per year, five times greater than the global average. It means that in our seven day trip, we left a carbon foot print nearly 3.5 times greater than the average American leaves per week. A carbon foot print equal to that of 19,826 eggs, the average amount consumed per American over the course of their entire lifetime, HOLY EGGS! With the state of the environment steadily decreasing, it is our obligation to preserve and perpetuate the beauty of our planet. To do this, we need to invest in alternative energy and sustainable practices. Currently, automobiles are one of the leading sources of atmospheric pollutants and this problem must be addressed. The development of hybrid and electrical vehicles is extremely promising for a greener, more sustainable future. So the next time you buy a vehicle, please consider going green!

(Sources: www.factspy.net, www.eoearth.org)

Note: It was my goal to calculate the entire carbon footprint of our road trip, however I forgot to take into consideration other factors such as food, housing, activities, etc.