Gransnet forums

Chat

How big is your Carbon Footprint?

(107 Posts)
GrannyMacawell Thu 04-Nov-21 18:26:54

using the WWF calculator mine is 8.8...I would like to get it lower !

footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/

Newquay Fri 05-Nov-21 12:52:10

I don’t understand it-we’re 106%!

Trisha57 Fri 05-Nov-21 12:49:28

92% - is that good?

BlueBelle Fri 05-Nov-21 12:42:29

So how does someone get 109% ? And someone else 7.6 which they say is the average I don’t understand it some are using percentages some not

FlexibleFriend Fri 05-Nov-21 11:33:49

7.84 75% apparently that's good

muse Fri 05-Nov-21 10:56:18

I agree the questions are general and some make it impossible to put in an accurate answer. We are totally off grid and there was no option to say that on the tariff question. However, it gave us a rough idea of how close we are to the target.

Essential journey's could have been shown as a separate question but this wouldn't have an impact on the actual footprint.

kittylester. Perhaps try it again and take out or reduce amount of travelling you do that is essential (you and your DH's voluntary work) to give you a personal footprint. I can't remember the exact question.

timetogo2016 Fri 05-Nov-21 10:30:17

78%,i shall start using the car a little less from today.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 05-Nov-21 10:29:15

7.6% which is the world average and a lot less than the U.K. average.

Must try harder!

I think what makes a difference is that we hardly use the car, and what would make a huge difference is if our car was fully electric (it is a hybrid) and our heating system was changed from gas to a renewable.

maddyone Fri 05-Nov-21 10:26:54

I was just below the target of 10.5 tonnes, I was 10 tonnes. However I wonder if many of us have scored lower because we’re still in pandemic, and we’re still not travelling as much. We haven’t been to see family 250 miles away, and only took one flight to the Greek Islands. Everything else is as it would be every year, despite pandemic.

MissAdventure Fri 05-Nov-21 10:22:32

It's going to be inaccurate due to covid restrictions, but I don't feel the need to measure mine, as being skint means it's probably low as a consequence

Mollygo Fri 05-Nov-21 10:22:28

Kittylester, where did you read that? ??They haven’t exactly broadcast it widely. For some folk the expense of buying a new electric car would never be justified!

kittylester Fri 05-Nov-21 10:16:37

My percentage was 109%blush

But, as with others, I found it very narrow. For instance- we have 2 cars - one, a big one, that DH uses to transport cancer patients and, often, their relative to treatment appointments on 2 days per week and another one for my volunteering. What I do is fairly specialised and I sometimes have to be at the other side of the county by 9 am. Doubt that would work on public transport.

Obviously, we use the cars ourselves and they are our choice.

We have been thinking of getting an electric car but read this morning that they only become carbon neutral after 70,000 miles taking manufacturing into consideration.

Mollygo Fri 05-Nov-21 10:09:45

Questions a bit vague.
I’m evidently achieving 86.5% of my target. If it asked me on a holiday week, it would look different. We haven’t flown for 2 years because of Covid.
Trains might be better for the environment, but a cost difference of over £200 for two of us to visit relatives even with a railcard means we don’t often use the train, but go by car.
Last week it cost over £100 to go (off peak, prebooked) to a concert in London by train. By car it would have been far less expensive, even allowing for parking.

GillT57 Fri 05-Nov-21 09:43:53

89% here, as a vegetarian. Will do it again for occasional meat eating husband and see if there is a major difference.

Poppyred Fri 05-Nov-21 09:43:22

94% - surprised but happy with that.

PamelaJ1 Fri 05-Nov-21 09:30:44

I just did it again and got the same result as the first time. I put in the flight to Australia but ticked the offset box too. That means that as we aren’t using our oil heating for 2months we are doing the world a favour by flying to see our DD. Can that be right?

dragonfly46 Fri 05-Nov-21 09:23:21

80%

Germanshepherdsmum Fri 05-Nov-21 09:19:47

Thanks Pamela. That makes sense. I too felt very guilty saying I travel by car as there is simply no alternative and the nearest shop is not within walking distance. Perhaps I should get a horse to ride into town but I think its emissions might increase my footprint somewhat (and riding a horse wasn’t one of the options)!

PamelaJ1 Fri 05-Nov-21 09:12:19

Germanshepherdsmum

I may be dense but what difference does it make if your house is detached, semi or terraced?
My percentage was 78.

A semi usually takes up less space and as it has a shered wall should cost less to heat?
Whatever germanshepardsmum your % is excellent. Mine is 93% but we haven’t been to Australia this year. I will do it again and put that in.
We have few buses here, the train station is 25miles away but I felt very guilty when I ticked that I don’t travel by train! Maybe I should try harder??‍♀️

Georgesgran Fri 05-Nov-21 08:53:33

I was just below average, but can’t really see what else I can do to reduce it. No new clothes, no holidays, no food wastage. I think my car’s the culprit, but don’t want to change it yet.

cornergran Fri 05-Nov-21 08:52:09

93% which it says is good.

Urmstongran Fri 05-Nov-21 08:50:08

78%

silverlining48 Fri 05-Nov-21 08:27:49

89% but it’s not clear whether that’s good or bad though the ‘foot’ at the end is smaller than uk average if that helps.

Sparklefizz Fri 05-Nov-21 07:47:23

The questions were too general.

Germanshepherdsmum Fri 05-Nov-21 07:42:27

I may be dense but what difference does it make if your house is detached, semi or terraced?
My percentage was 78.

Calendargirl Fri 05-Nov-21 07:12:28

81%

Calistemon Yes, why shouldn’t you have a new tv?smile