Carbon Footprints

The concept and name originates from ecological footprint, a measure of human demand on the ecosystem

The other day over dinner we were discussing carbon footprints. No, really. We do it all the time and it occurred to yours truly how nice it would be if others, too, were made aware of how us humans have paid Mother Earth back for allowing us to shack up with her.

A carbon footprint is ‘the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organisation, event or product’ (UK Carbon Trust 2008). An individual, nation, or organisation’s carbon footprint is measured by a GHG emissions assessment. The concept and name originates from ecological footprint. In fact, the carbon footprint is a subset of the ecological footprint.

The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on Earth’s ecosystems. It compares human demand with Earth’s ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of productive land and sea area needed to regenerate the resources humans consume and to absorb and render harmless the corresponding waste.

Using this assessment, we can estimate how many Earths it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle. For our information (FOI), for 2005, humanity’s total ecological footprint was estimated at 1.3 Earths.

In the light of this alarming trend, the industrialised world (led by USA) urged India to cut GHG emissions by 15-30 per cent by 2020. In simple English, that means industrialise less, consume less, drive less, fly less, pollute less and carbon footprint less. This coming from the 10th highest per capita carbon ‘footprinter’ in the world, as per the last GHG emissions report, seems a bit rich. To Indians, at least. (India, after all, are a lowly 133rd on the elite list.)

Is it fair to ask a people who have for so long been underperformers in the race to live-it-up, to live down just when they’re gathering up a head of steam? India has only just come to the ‘let’s see who can fuck Mother Earth the most party’. Asking it to go slow now is akin to what in Hindi is called a KLPD.

Sorry, Mom, but these industrialised folk have been merrily carbon footprinting all over you for so many years. We want our share of the fun too. Guess it’s your fault for being so accommodating and all. You should have been more like the aloof Venus.

About The Author

Avinash Subramaniam