The Numbers Behind Going Green: 5 Fun (& Informative) Calculators

By Vicki Zambito

Google “environmental websites” and you get 31 million results. Look for “green blogs” on Technorati and the results show over 6,000 sites. No doubt about it, there is a lot of information on “being green” out there. It can be intimidating if you are looking for a place to start and trying to figure out how to be more environmentally-friendly without upending your life. Like any good businessman or woman would tell you, start with a benchmark. Figure out how green you are today, and then go from there. Here are five fun calculators to help get you started.

1. IN THE OFFICE:
Widgetbox’s Eco Calculator - This online widget calculates how much greenhouse gas, trees and wastewater you and your company can save by using eco-friendly paper products.
Link: http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/eco-calculator

2. AT HOME:
Low Impact Living Calculator – This household environmental calculator shows not only the carbon footprint but also energy, water, wastewater, trash, and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle.
Link: http://lowimpactliving.com/pages/impact-calculator/impact-calculator

3. ON THE ROAD:
Vehicle Eco Calculator – This number cruncher uses fuel economy, sticker price, miles driven per year and the price of gasoline to determine annual fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions. I learned that I am going to spend roughly $2,000 in gas this year and give off 6.22 metric tons of CO2.
Link: http://www.leopardo.com/vec/

4. IN THE AIR:
TerraPass Air Travel Calculator – This tool allows you to input your air travel plans to calculate your air emissions and compares it to your emissions if you chose other forms of transportation to reach the same location. It’s fun to use. I am about to head from Tampa to San Francisco for a work conference so I plugged in my flight information and learned my flight will give off 2,312 lbs of CO2 and that it would be “greener” of me to carpool. Anyone on their way across the country? Can I hitch a ride?
Link: http://www.terrapass.com/carbon-footprint-calculator/#air

5. YOUR TOTAL IMPACT:
World Wildlife Fund’s Footprint Calculator - This simple, handy calculator looks at the impact of food, transportation, work and other important indices. It takes just five minutes!
Link: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/