Carbon+footprint+calculator

As part of my memo this week I went through the carbon footprint calculator provided by nature.org. The calculator has four steps (home energy, driving & flying, food & diet, recycling & waste) and each step asks you a couple of questions on your habits about each topic. Because I move between California and New York, I was able to think about my answers to each question regarding each place I live, and I never realized how different my habits are in each place. For instance, when I was in San Francisco, I never drove and all of my waste was either recycled or composted. In Troy, I drive a little more, and while I recycle, I do not compost. I eat meat almost daily which contributes to my carbon footprint, and I have to fly between the coasts which also contributes quite a bit. At the end of the calculator (based on my Troy habits) I was told I account for 31 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is above average in the US. When they broke it down into categories, everything was below the average except for the flying and driving, which accounted for 54% of my carbon emissions. In the future, as I graduate and move to a new place, I will make sure my home is fitted with energy saving light bulbs and appliances, I will take public transportation everywhere, I will reduce the amount of meat I eat and try to reduce the amount of non-recyclable and non-compostable waste I throw out.