Although this might seem to benefit our efforts to tread more lightly on the planet, the reality is less clear. Last year, an article inhighlighted the influence oil companies have had on the carbon footprint's growing popularity.
Its main message was that the idea of measuring personal carbon footprints – in other words, calculating the emissions we're responsible for as individuals – was originally promoted by oil giant BP to shift the burden of action from fossil fuel companies to consumers. In many respects, this tactic worked. Free carbon footprinting tools became common, and people even began to rank them for ease, accuracy and reliability. For example,
by the World Wildlife Fund tells me my footprint in tonnes, as well as which parts of my lifestyle are the main contributors to it.Compared with others in the UK, my footprint is relatively low. This is partly because I work in sustainability for a living, so I keep my heating down low, I useIn global terms, however, my footprint is pretty big, and to avoid the