[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]
In pounds of CO[subscript 2] per year, based on U.S. averages
10,959 Driving a car
The average American drives 13,476 miles (21,688 km) per year
Americans tend to have three cups a day
50.6
Drinking coffee
Some 90% of all U.S. homes have an air conditioner
1,904
Running the air conditioner
2,000
Using the refrigerator
1,579
Turning on the lights
2,204
Flying in a plane
412.7
Having a beer
Most of the carbon footprint of beer comes from the ingredients, electricity and transportation
3,578
Eating meat
The average American eats 195 lb. (88 kg) of meat year
2.5
Reading the newspaper
It would take about 40 trees to make a lifetime of newspapers for each U.S. citizen
379
Running the dishwasher, based on the average American family’s two loads per week
227
Running the dryer, one load per week on average
297.6
Answering email
THE COUNTRIES EMITTING THE MOST CARBON
In thousands of metric tons per year
2.5 million
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
CHINA
U.S.
INDIA
RUSSIA
JAPAN
GERMANY
SOUTH KOREA
IRAN
INDONESIA
SAUDI ARABIA
WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
RECYCLING just some of your waste reduces emissions by 440 lb./year
COMPOSTING some of your food waste reduces emissions by 220 lb./year
USING A DRYING RACK instead of a dryer for half your loads would save 113 lb./year
REPLACING beef and pork in your diet with poultry would save 1,555 lb./year
TURNING YOUR HEATER DOWN by 8°F (4°C) while you sleep and are at work would save 1,759 lb./year
SOURCES: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC; THE GUARDIAN; CARBON DIOXIDE INFORMATION ANALYSIS CENTER
This appears in the July 06, 2015 issue of TIME.
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