Do you know what your carbon footprint is? Most people are shocked when they see the amount of CO2 their activities create! A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). In other words, when you heat your house with oil or gas, then you generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. 

In order to create strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we had to identify and categorize the major sources and quantities of emissions being produced in Maplewood. The inventory process sought to capture not just those emissions that occur directly within Maplewood's borders but also those which result from residents' non-employment economic activities. 

The chart shows the results of the inventory assessment. The township is only responsible for 2% of Maplewood's emissions. The majority of emissions, 98%, come from residents- heating homes, powering appliances, driving cars, eating food and disposing of garbage.

Do you want to see what your environmental impact is?  See how much your activities contribute to carbon emissions?

The Nature Conservancy has developed a great carbon footprint calculator.

When you're done, you can compare your results with the average citizen of the United States and of the world.  It can be truly eye-opening!