092302BCarbon FootprintAbstractThe word Carbon Footprint was become popular in the world with the impacts of Climate Change and actions taking to minimize bad impacts on Climate Change. There is a need of contribution of all individuals to save earth from environmental problems that are created by us. Within Last few decades world public seeking solutions for the burning environmental problems such as global warming, sea level rising, tornedos and etc Most of the environmental problems occur with changing of climate change due to growth of Greenhouse Gases. Carbon Footprint came to the field as concept and tool to measure GHGs from our day to day activities. It came with evolutionary process of many actions, concepts and etc In the current world Carbon Footprint is popular among individuals, organizations as well as countries. Though it is popular or applicable there are some limitations as environmental sustainable tool. DefinitionsThe Carbon Footprint is mostly discussion title in the world, which is developed as a concept in recent years. Within Last few decades world has concentrated their views and actions to environmental friendly due to issues that are occurring against to human living pattern from the environment such as climate change impacts & etc Carbon footprint one of result from process of finding environment friendly life styles and production processes. First we drive to some definitions to understand what exactly carbon footprint means. "The carbon footprint is a measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon dioxide emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product."

"A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels. In the case of a business organization, it is the amount of CO2 emitted either directly or indirectly as a result of its everyday operations. It also might reflect the fossil energy represented in a product or commodity reaching market."

Thomas Wiedmann, Jan Minx (2007), A Definition of Carbon Footprint, Internet Article

A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the climate change impacts created by greenhouse gases from human activitiesDr. Bob Vaas, What is Carbon footprint, YouTube Video

Definitions express carbon footprint is about amount of carbon dioxide released in to atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization or community. When we are studying more definitions about carbon footprint, some occasions it talks about amount of greenhouse gases but sometimes carbon dioxide amount.

The concept of carbon footprint emerge with the climate change impacts. In last decade world paid their attention for global warming, natural disasters due to growth of them. Most of these disasters and uncomfortable environmental conditions identified as the impacts of climate change. More analysis showed most of climate change impacts occur due to the growth of greenhouse gases in the environment. There are number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and we know CO2 is one of major contributor of GHGs. Thats why some references talk about GHGs in the carbon footprint.

In the atmosphere, CO2 Contributed with small amount and its about 0.034%. One person can ask why we so worried about CO2? Still we have such small amount in the atmosphere. Carbon Footprint refers to the Greenhouse gas emissions that are released in to the environment by using energy. In the carbon cycle, plants absorb CO2 from the air and animals eat plants that contain CO2. When animals or plants die CO2 released in to the atmosphere or ground. But now whole cycle has changed by us/ humans. We have been cutting a lot of forests that used to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. We have been digging up CO2 from the underground and burning it for energy. In which CO2 is released to the atmosphere. By getting rid of plants and burning up lots of fossil fuel the atmosphere now fill with carbon faster than plants can absorb it. In which extra CO2 traps heat from the Sun. Thats the story behind the carbon footprint.

Basically the carbon footprint made from two parts. Primary Footprint Measure of direct CO2 emission from the burning of fossil fuels. E.G. Vehicles, Domestic electricity, Generators Secondary Footprint Measure of indirect CO2 emissions. This is associated with every single product that we use. Or we can see another categorization according to use of equipment and resources that we have. It calls three scope of carbon foot print as well. Lets take industry and categorize their uses in to the three scopes. Direct EmissionsIndirect EmissionsOther Indirect Emissions

Combusting SourcesTypical electricityTransportation of purchased material or goods

Site owned vehiclesCould be steam or high temperature hot waterEmployee business travel

On site electrical generationEmissions from finished products

CFC and HFC losses from refrigeration equipmentTransportation of waste

Vegetation & Trees

According to this categories, scope 1 and 2 relatively easy to control against to emission of carbon. But scope 3 is very difficult to control due to boundary issues, magnitude is higher than 1 & 2 and costly value chain.

Related Concepts and Theories

Climate Change

Climate change we can define as changes in the earth's weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns and rainfall, especially the increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The definition of climate change expresses the relation between climate change and CO2. Carbon Footprint is the tool of measuring CO2 emission from particular activity, product and etc It came to field make aware about the climate change and to ready people against to the bad impacts of climate change. In carbon footprint there are three levels. Personal Footprint Countrys Footprint Worlds FootprintThe important is reduction of personal footprint in individual wise to achieve countrys and worlds footprints. If individual is ready to reduce his/her footprint his/her ready for changing bad impacts on Climate change.

Ecological Footprint

Ecological footprint is a measure of the total resource consumption and its impact on the environment (Natural Capital) of particular activity. At the same time its a mathematical tool to indicate the stress we place on the earths resources for our day to day living. Most of the time carbon footprint has seen as the part of ecological footprint. Ecological footprint talks about every factor in the environment in relation to a particular activity such as biodiversity, built land, sea, energy and etc. Carbon footprint is talking about the energy consumption and generating CO2 emissions from the various energy sources.

Carbon TradingCarbon Trading is one of attractive and comprehensive technique in the 21st Century which is giving more solutions for environmental and business problems. It has been always gap between environmental protection and profit maximization of businesses. What happening in the carbon trading is, industrialized countries generate more CO2 to environment. Developing countries got chance to grow forests in their country and getting paid from the industrialized countries instead of CO2 emissions. Internationally this is well recognized and functioning technique. This is mainly reducing the worlds Carbon Footprint. If it is applicable for country level or firm level it would great chance to the personal footprint as well as countrys foot print.Methodologies and Tools There should be way to express the individual, organizational carbon footprint in understandable manner. Before the expressing style we have to find the methods that are using to calculate carbon footprint. Process Analysis (PA)Process analysis (PA) is a bottom-up method, which has been developed to understand the environmental impacts of individual products from cradle to end. Process analysis based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a product. This is basically only on site and mostly first and second impacts are considered. When we are going to calculate Carbon Footprint in large Entities by using PA it would be difficult with data availability and estimating methods. Process analysis has clear advantages for looking at micro systems: a particular process, an individual product or a relatively small group of individual products.

Environmental Input Output (EIO) Analysis

This is providing an alternative top- down approach to carbon foot printing. Especially in the sector level economic accounts provide inputs and outputs tables and it shows better picture about all economic activities. Environment account data is important to this method. The suitability of environmental input-output analysis to assess micro systems such as products or processes is limited, as it assumes homogeneity of prices, outputs and their carbon emissions at the sector level. Although sectors can be disaggregated for further analysis, bringing it closer to a micro system, this possibility is limited, at least on a larger scale. A big advantage of input-output based approaches, however, is a much smaller requirement of time and manpower once the model is in place. In this context a carbon footprint of industrial sectors, individual businesses, larger product groups, households, government, the average citizen or an average member of a particular socio-economic group can easily be performed by input-output analysis.

Hybrid Environmental Input Output- Life Cycle Assessment Analysis (Hybrid EIO-LCA)

Due to the some boundaries of previous individual methods applicants pay attention to develop hybrid method by combining and integrating both PA and EIO methods. This approach allows preserving the detail and accuracy of bottom-up approaches in lower order stages, while higher-order requirements are covered by the input-output part of the model. Hybrid EIO-LCA approach allows to preserve the detail and accuracy of bottom-up approaches in lower order stages, while higher-order requirements are covered by the input-output part of the model. Tools

There are number of tools to calculate carbon footprint in individual level, organizational level. If any person needs to calculate his own Carbon Footprint, he just needs to know his consumption statistics. He can log on to the online Carbon Footprint calculator and enter the data.

www.carbonfootprint.com is a website that made for many activities relates with carbon footprint. In this website there are many services related to carbon footprint.

And as I mentioned online Carbon Footprint calculators and soft wares are available as tool.

UBERTO is software that can use for Calculation, Modeling and Optimizing carbon Footprints.

Evolution of the Concept, Practices and Limitations

Evolution of the Concept

Since 1980, political world had been worrying about the impact on the Earths climate of Greenhouse Gases released in to the atmosphere through human activity. With support of many national governments, the United Nations (UN) has set up Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 to bring together the worlds leading specialist Climatologists to investigate and report authoritatively what was happening. 1997 in Japan Kyoto protocol came to the field as a result of many conversations on Environmental Protection. Emission-reduction targets of greenhouse gases for each of the member countries A greenhouse gas emission-trading program Holding future meetings to set penalties for violators of the established targets and regulation rules of the emission-trading program To achieve the targets of conferences, protocol there many programs were conducted. To bring these efforts to the people there many programs, concepts were developed such as voluntary market mechanisms. (OZONE Layer protection, CFC reduction, Ecological footprint, 3Rs, etc...) In 2006 and 2007 time period many researchers were talking about Carbon Weight and the Footprint. 2007 is the year the concept of Carbon Footprint came to the field as result of voluntary market mechanism. Carbon Footprint now itself is a concept as well as tool that can be used measure GHG emission of activities and self-motive tool to reduce GHGs to the atmosphere.Practices

Sri Lankan Case Study

National Cleaner Production Award 2010Silver Award- Villa Ocean View Hotel, Wadduwa

This hotel is maintaining the Environmental Management System in their organization. Carbon Footprint Assessment is one component of their process. There are no more information relates with carbon footprint but following details from their EMS 2009.

Policy Commitment

We will continuously contribute towards the Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability and increase overall efficiency / effectiveness and reduce risks to humans and the environment by applying our Future Environmental plans.

Objectives Completed the activities as per the schedule Increase the awareness of all staff / Schools Students / Community / Guests Utilize the overall outcome of the Compost Zone Establish a rain water storing project Planting to plant fruits trees (Jack, Mango, Mangosteen, Guava, Rambutan Trees)

Carbon Footprint- Year 2009 (Villa Ocean View Hotel- Wadduwa)

Oakhurst Dairy- England

Preparing a Carbon Footprint Identify Boundaries Identify Sources Collect Data Prepare Footprint to International Standards Assess Strategic ImplicationsGoals, cost savings & reduction opportunities, external & internal communication Public Disclosure

Carbon Footprint Boundaries

GHG Emission SourcesOakhurst Carbon Footprint Results

Electricity Refrigerants (HFCs) Stationary Source Fossil Fuels CombustionNatural gasDieselHeavy Fuel Oil (#6)PropaneKerosene Mobile Source Fossil Fuel Combustion Anaerobic WWT

Limitations of Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint is indicator of environmental sustainability in relation to Climate Change impacts. Currently there are number of environmental problems which are occurring due to the climate change. At the same time there are environmental problems which are not relates with climate change but they are very critically injured to the environment. In such cases Carbon Footprint is poor representative to make decisions on that. Things with large carbon footprints do damage to the earth by releasing large amounts of carbon. Things with small carbon footprints do little damage. A carbon footprint is just a number, telling you how much carbon is produced in the making, producing, transporting and using of a certain thing. This thing could be a car, or a bottle of beer, or a tin of vegetables, or your house, or even you. For example, the carbon footprint of a tin of vegetables that was produced on the other side of the world would consider the collection, transport, cooking and canning of the crop. It would then factor in the cost of transportation half way round the world, by ship, air, truck and perhaps your own vehicle. Compare this to vegetables grown in your own garden, or at least in your own local area.So an item with a large carbon footprint releases more carbon into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse gases already there, and contributing to global warming, much more than an item with a small carbon footprint. GHGs make globe warmer. Carbon Footprint encourage the people to use renewable energy and reduce usage of GHG emits equipment. But in developing countries still their development measuring by the usage of electricity, vehicles and etc... Most of development indicators based on usage of non-renewable energy sources. This condition is unfair. Development indicators should be changed to direct sustainable life styles.

References

Dr. Bob Vaas, What is Carbon footprint, YouTube Video

Dr. Sven Lundie, Matt hias Schulz, Dr. Greg Peters (2009), Carbon Footprint Measurement Methodology Report

Ocean View Limited Wadduwa ppt documet (2010), National Cleaner Production Award 2010, ppt document

Pure Strategies Corporation (2011 June), Carbon Footprint Case Study Oakhurst Dairy, ppt document

Thomas Wiedmann, Jan Minx (2007), A Definition of Carbon Footprint, Internet Article

Website- www.carbonfootprint.com,