How do I calculate the "carbon impact" of driving?

Kolesar

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Mon Dec-11-06 01:46 PM
Original message

How do I calculate the "carbon impact" of driving?

If I wanted to figure how much carbon is released into the atmosphere when I consume four gallons of gasoline, how do I make the calculation? For that matter, how could I do a rough calculation of the carbon impact of using 1 kW*hr of electricity, figuring Ohio electricity is 95% coal and 5% nuke & hydro? I cannot seem to google up a specific calculation.

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MadAsHellNewYorker

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Mon Dec-11-06 01:48 PM
Response to Original message

1. I can't answer all of your question, but for every gallon of gas used,

Edited on Mon Dec-11-06 01:49 PM by MadAsHellNewYorker

19 pounds (yes, pounds) of carbon are released into the atmosphere.
heres a good explanation of it: http://odeo.com/audio/2321801/view

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Kolesar

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Mon Dec-11-06 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Six pounds of gasoline => nineteen pounds of carbon (?)

Perhaps the six pounds of gasoline yield 19 pounds of CO2 after the automobile engine combines the carbon in the gasoline with atmospheric oxygen--thus exhausting more mass than it started with. Does that make sense.

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MadAsHellNewYorker

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Mon Dec-11-06 01:54 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. I edited my response and added a good link explaining this

and thats pretty much exactly what happens.

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Kolesar

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Mon Dec-11-06 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. Salon.com--Very good!

Six tons from my beast alone. I could not find a coal-calculation at www.slate.com , though.

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YankeyMCC

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Mon Dec-11-06 02:08 PM
Response to Original message

4. I don't know how this calculator derives it's answers but

here is an online tool to estimate your carbon footprint:

http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/programs/climatechange/carboncalculator.xml

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GliderGuider

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Mon Dec-11-06 02:37 PM
Response to Original message

6. A gallon of gasoline contains 2.38 kg of carbon

Edited on Mon Dec-11-06 02:43 PM by GliderGuider

So 4 gallons contains (4*2.38*2.2) = 21 lb. of carbon.

According to this PDF, electricity generated by coal produces about 1000 grams of CO2 per kWH. Given that a mass of CO2 is 3.7 times the mass of its constituent carbon (derived here), that means that generating 1 kWH produces about (1000/3.7) = 270 grams of carbon - a bit more than a half a pound. Given the variables involved and the fact that they produce some of their own CO2, you can safely ignore the 5% nuke/hydro.

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Kolesar

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Tue Dec-12-06 01:39 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Now I have to dig up some electric bills

I could say five hours of TV yields 1000 grams of CO2.

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IDemo

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Wed Dec-13-06 02:10 PM
Response to Original message

8. gasoline isn't the only carbon footprint your car has

It might also be argued that the sum total of a vehicle's carbon footprint, taken over its lifespan, must include the energy required to build and maintain it, including the fabrication of replacement batteries, tires, etc.

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Kolesar

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Sun Dec-17-06 07:22 AM
Response to Reply #8

9. I have heard that the initial energy is on order with the lifetime energy use

That steel, glass and plastic represents a lot of consumed energy. Good reason to maintain your car and keep it running.

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GliderGuider

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Sun Dec-17-06 11:32 AM
Response to Reply #9

10. You can get a rough idea by looking at capital vs. operating cost

Say a car costs $20,000 and travels 200,000 miles over its useful life, at 20 mpg. It will use 10,000 gallons of gasoline over its lifetime. If gasoline costs $2.00 a gallon, we see that the capital cost and the lifetime operating costs are quite similar. A cheaper, more robust car with higher fuel efficiency will tip the ratio to perhaps 1:2.

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kestrel91316

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Sun Dec-17-06 01:26 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. That's why I'm still driving my rather tacky looking but

running-great 1988 Honda Accord, lol.

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