Eden Project

New online tool shows carbon footprint of everything

Well ok, not everything, but our new Show me the carbon tool does tell you a lot about a whole load of products and processes in our everyday lives – from the carbon emissions produced by a bowl of vegetables or a takeaway burger to a holiday in Barbados or a trip to Glasgow.

Did you know that an indulgent power shower can create twice as many emissions as a luxurious bath? Or that the carbon footprint of a bunch of asparagus grown in Peru and airfreighted to the UK is 28 times higher than that of a bunch grown locally and seasonally?

The tool is jam-packed with data from the fascinating and exhaustive book ‘How bad are bananas? The carbon footprint of everything’. Author Mike Berners-Lee worked with us to come up with this online version that would let you see at a glance the differences in the carbon impact of everyday things.

You can use Show me the carbon to find out things like why having a taste for red meat can mean two and a half times more emissions than eating little dairy and meat, and why ‘distressed’ jeans really do live up to their name.

If you’re visiting Eden, check out the online tool’s sister exhibit in the Core, where you can explore a tiny Smart Car to see the carbon footprint of goods, from mobile phones to strawberries to a pair of shoes. What’s really exciting is that it’s Eden first fully Braille exhibit, too.

The car and online tool were put together for Clear About Carbon, a European Social Fund financed project that Eden is part of, which has a mission to find new ways to increase carbon and climate awareness within businesses and the public sector.

Comments:

No comments

Category:

• Climate change

Tag:

Climate change