cause.
Below is the short list of the latest CO2 emissions (carbon footprint), loss of natural habitat potential for one year (in square meters), and loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year (in kilograms), for a few products and services. ^short list:
• FLIP FLOPS (1 pair): 22kg CO2, 17m^2 of habitat, 53kg of life
• CLOTHES DRYER (per load): 2kg CO2, 1.5m^2 of habitat, 4.8kg of life
• CAR (manufacture 23mpg +120,000miles): 95 metric tons CO2, 73,000m^2 of habitat, 228tons of life
• CHICKEN/ FISH/ EGGS (1 kilogram): 6 kg CO2, 4.6m^2 of habitat, 14.3kg life
• BEEF (1 kilogram): 22.1kg CO2, 17m^2 of habitat, 53kg of life
• BEER (6-pack microbrew): 3.5kg CO2, 2.5m^2 of habitat, 7.7kg of life
• CAR (manufacture 46mpg + 20,000miles): 44 tons CO2, 33,900m^2 of habitat, 105tons of life
• DAIRY PRODUCTS (1 kg): 4 kg CO2, 3.2m^2 of habitat, 9.9kg of life
• AIRLINE FLIGHT (1600km): 176kg CO2, 135m^2 of habitat, 422kg of life
• GASOLINE (1 gallon): 10kg CO2, 8m^2 of habitat, 24kg of life
• 1 KILOWATT (coal): .7kg CO2, .6m^2 of habitat, 1.6kg of life
• JUNK MAIL (10kg/ U.S. yearly average): 48kg CO2, 37m^2 of habitat, 114kg of life
• CLOTHES LINE (per load): zero CO2, zero m^2 of habitat, zero kg of life
• FRUITS/ VEGETABLES (1 kg): 1.6kg, 1.2m^2 of habitat, 3.8kg of life
• SUN DRESS (eco): 14kg CO2, 10.8m^2 of habitat, 33.6kg of life
• JACKET (eco fleece shell): 30kg CO2, 23m^2 of habitat, 72kg of life
• JEANS COTTON (1 pair): 33kg CO2, 26m^2 of habitat, 80kg of life
• MAGAZINE (med): 1kg CO2, .7m^2 of habitat, 2.3kg of life
• PAPER COFFEE CUP (8 oz): .12kg CO2, .09 m^2 of habitat, .27 kg of life
• T-SHIRT (1): 4kg CO2, 3m^2 of habitat, 10kg of life
• SHOES (1 pair): 66 CO2, 51m^2 of habitat, 158kg of life
• HIKING BOOTS (1 pair): 154kg CO2, 119m^2 of habitat, 369kg of life
^To get more ecological footprints, ecological effects and carbon footprints on these and other products check out the ecofx wiki.
dance.
Dance around the habitat that your friends save when they take environmental actions!To do the ecofx + XOEarth Dance, first estimate the area of habitat potential saved by an eco action that a friend takes.
Then do a rad dance for, or with, that friend along the border of an area on the ground that represents the approximate area of habitat saved for one year by that friend’s environmental action.
Whether your is the twist, salsa, boogie, victory (think, touchdown), swing, jazz, jump, tango, modern or even moondance is up to you!!
So find your ecofx + XOEarth Dance style and then bust your moves every day to honor others for their eco actions that help defend our fragile but highly endangered biosphere.
Sometimes your friends may have helped protect an area of habitat potential that is bigger than you can dance around. In this case, the area inside the border of your dance can represent a fraction of the amount of habitat potential saved by a friend’s actions. So you can say something like “this is the area of habitat potential you have saved, times five, for taking that awsesome ecological action”. Substitute the correct multiple for the “five”.
So do your ecofx + XOEarth Dance around the habitat that your friends save when they take environmental actions! Move your bod to honor your friend’s – or your own – eco actions and choices – every day.
Tell others about the ecofx + XOEarth Dance so they can use this rad dance to thank their friends for taking environmental actions that help save habitat potential and its lifeforms too.
Add your ecofx + XOEarth Dance ideas and videos to XOEarth Facebook
.
rebel and strike.
To *rebel and strike ecofx* on the sidewalk in front of a business that is not eco ethical, step off the amount of habitat being lost for one year due to the business’s shameful actions or sales. For more info see XOEarth.org/rebel-and-strikeBelow are a couple more excerpts from XOEarth.org/rebel-and-strike ::
Before a rebel or strike, first ask the business to stop taking a specific earth killing action.
If a business says they will not stop taking the action that hurts our planet, rebel or strike the sidewalk in front of the front doors of the business while stepping off (walking around) the perimeter of the area of habitat being lost for one year because of a choice the business makes.
Walk around the area as many times as necessary to represent every time the business takes that anti eco action – or to represent multiples of that area.
vox.
Whether it is a word, video, art, song, multi-media or a story, we each have the power to create eco media that helps defend our biosphere.Even a single sentence about the ecofx of a product is a little eco voice that can make a big difference. For example, imagine hundreds of people that might start using a clothesline after hearing a clothesline song about it or reading about it on wikipedia.org.
It’s going to take multiple communication forms and styles to create media to fully expose the dangerous ecofx (environmental impacts) of the products and services being used today.
So create and become the media via facebook, xoearth.org/ecofx-wiki, XOEarth.org, bulletin boards, refrigerators, emails, appropedia.org, wikipedia.org and by wearing an XO (as the human and the planet).
Consider composing a story, song, art or other eco XOEarth VOX about a product’s ecofx and how a lifeform(s) or a person(s) somewhere in the world (close or far away) may be positively or negatively affected by the non-purchase or purchase of a product.
Then once you have envisioned and blogged a product’s ecofx story, add a link to it on a relevant xoearth.org/ecofx-wiki page, tell the tale to a friend or others who might buy that product, and/or post it to the ecofx Facebook or use other XOEarth eco media to get it out there.
Some ways to compose an ecofx story include::
• Imagining a positive scenario that might occur if a person does not buy the product, or that will not occur if the person does buy the product.
• Imagining a negative scenario that might occur if a person buys the product, or that might not occur if a person does not buy the product.
connect.
Join the ecofx wiki at xoearth.org/ecofx-wiki to talk and work with other Earth lovers who are taking a stand for the planet. >>Join the ecofx Facebook ecofx group to connect with other ecofx people, and to post your perspectives and stories. >>
Subscribe to the XOEarth Newsletter for monthly updates, stories, ecological footprint and eco humor from XO Earth and ecofx. >>
exquisite.
Knowing the ecological effects of buying a specific product — or not buying that product — can help save our exquisite biosphere.
Many of these stories about the environmental impacts of the products we buy have been hidden from us. Ooodles of companies hide the eco negative effects of their products. Because? Because they know most of us would not buy their stuff if we knew the real story.
Envision… thousands of people exploring the ecofx (ecological footprints) of their purchases, and then doing the right thing to show their love for this superb planet.
Envision… millions of people sharing stories with each other about the dangerous ecological effects that consumer products and business products have on our future, and the future of other lifeforms and peoples.
Envision… billions of lifeforms and people of the future celebrating that humankind did not buy the un-necessary stuff that would have made their existence impossible.
XOE, Stele Ely *
petition.
We are requesting all ecofx members to write a letter to their congress person (and other legislators) to mandate ecological footprint labeling on all products. If you are from the United States send the letter to us and we will deliver it along with other petitioner’s letters we receive.We will also be creating an on line petition to sign in a few days as well.
Letters from U.S. citizens will be accompanied by the following letter.
A demand for ecological footprint and CO2 labeling on all products.
This petition calls for the mandatory labeling on all products and services of the ecological footprint and CO2 emissions that come from the making of and the use of the products and services.
Whereas environmentally relevant labeling should be provided on all products and services to support ecologically sound consumer decisions, and,
Whereas the inefficient and excessive use of the some products pose serious threats to the environment and human health, and,
Whereas labeling of environmental information on other products has been shown to be beneficial to the environment,
Therefore,
These petitioners request that the honorable law making bodies in countries worldwide adopt mandatory labeling of the ecological footprint and CO2 emissions on all products and services.
Thanks for sending this letter to us or your legislator.
give.
To help keep ecofx going, make a donation or an in-kind contribution via our Paypal account. We promise to stretch every dollar you give for the benefit of lifeforms and peoples around the world! In kind donations for our auctions or
office are welcomed as well. Depending on the contribution amount, donors will receive a free ecofx bracelet(s), a custom song written by Stele Ely and/or other gifts.
EmaiI us, call us at 72O.34O.8O8O, or go to our donation page to join the team. more >>
edu.
Exploring ecofx (ecological footprints) is a good way for adults, students, teachers and kids to work together for the planet, to promote school spirit, to support peace and/or raise money for environmental clubs.Plus, ecofx hopes students and teachers will explore — XOEarth.org and XOEarth Honors — to power up ecofx and other environmental projects, eco media and green awards.
Art, photography and media students are invited to create and post ecofx art, songs, stories and video to ecofx Facebook and Flick’r.
Contact us for club and school materials, or if you would like us to come speak to your group.
biz.
We welcome businesses to request permission to use the ecofx formulas and calculators to show customers the positive impact of their green products.We can build javascript calculators that are customized for companies that sell ecologically green products — for a donation or free.
news.
> Signup for the ecofx / XOEarth Newsletter — a monthly update.> Artists, photographers and students are needed for ecofx art, media and videos projects. Contact us for assignments.
meta.
ecofx*meta wants to show people the localized effects that buying a product might have on the environment and health — such as on water quality, weather, air quality, food supply, fires, wetland loss, nutrition, sea level, diseases and the economy.ecofx*meta is about getting the numbers for those correlations — even if we have to include a broad margin of error — because every purchase, every product, every choice makes an ecological impact. Eco brainies are invited to contact us to help go after those numbers with some bold, statistical modeling.
Contact us if you would like to contribute your talents to the ecofx team. Whether your expertise or school major is in business, communications, psychology, language, arts, software programming or the sciences, ecofx has an opp for you. We can work with teachers for students who want to get school credit.
ecofx calculator
& fx.
Use ecofx to quickly estimate how much habitat potential in square meters is saved by not buying a product.Also use ecofx to find out how many kilograms of life is saved and how much the extinction rate is reduced by not buying a specific product.
For fun, to honor friends (and yourself) for not buying a product that hurts our biosphere, dance or walk around the estimated area (in square meters or feet) of natural habitat potential saved by not buying that product. Or, use one of the other XOEarth Honors to reward the non-purchase.
Ecofx Tools::
Kilograms of CO2 X .8 = Sq Meters of Habitat ::
Multiply the number of kilograms of CO2 that are released to make the product by .8 to estimate the loss of natural habitat potential for one year in square meters to make a product.
Pounds of CO2 X 3.8 = Sq Feet of Habitat ::
Multiply the pounds of CO2 released to make the product by 3.8 to estimate the loss of natural habitat potential for one year in square feet to make a product.
CO2 released by products :: If you don’t know the CO2 emissions released to make a product, estimate it using the short list on the left, the ecofx wiki, or estimate it based on similar products from the ecofx card.
Wiki ::
Check out the ecofx wiki to find the CO2 emissions and environmental impacts of some products (and services) that have already been estimated.
Calculator ::
Use to ecofx calculator on the right does the math fast. >>
Card ::
Print the ecofx card for some quick help when estimating the ecofx of a product or service. It has three ecofx formulas, and the CO2 emissions for some products.
CO2 Tips ::
The CO2. section has some tips on how to estimate the CO2 emissions with the ecofx card, short list, nexus.openLCA.org databases, google search (pounds of CO2 resulting from gasoline combustion) and other tools.
Life Mass ::
To estimate the loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year to make the product multiply the kilograms [or pounds] of CO2 that are released to make a product by 2.4.
To estimate how many of a product (if made) it would take to trigger 1 potential species extinction, divide 200,000,000 kilograms by the product’s CO2 emissions in kilograms.
[In pounds.] Divide 429,000,000 pounds by the product’s CO2 emissions in pounds.
Ecofx Pledge ::
Sign the ecofx pledge that says, ‘Before buying (or selling) a product or service, I pledge to estimate the ecological effects it has on natural habitat, on humankind, extinction and/or climate change, and then decide if the personal benefit outweighs the environmental impact.’
Rebel and Strike Ecofx ::
Rebel and Strike ecofx on the sidewalk in front of a business that is not eco ethical. Step off the amount of habitat being lost due for one year to the business’s shameful actions or sales.
Make A Matrix ::
If a product does not have a matrix yet, make one by using the formulas. Then share your matrix with others on the wiki and other websites.
Share ::
Tell others about the ecofx of various products via Facebook, Wikipedia, XOEarth media and by wearing an XO (as the human and the planet).
notes.
a/ The “loss of natural habitat potential for one year” is a way to visualize an area of human appropriated land, ocean, river and/or lake (area occupied by human industry, roads, farms, housing, etc) that was taken from and could be reverted back to natural habitat, and/or, an area of untouched natural habitat on land, ocean, river and/or lake that will be lost, as a result of making a product.“Loss of natural habitat potential for one year” is an area of statistically typical land, ocean and/or body of water that could support a biodiverse ecosystem, but instead, is being currently occupied or depleted, or will be occupied or depleted by humankind within a current year, as a result of making or using a product or service. This area in square meters is found by multiplying the number of kilograms of CO2 emissions of a product by .8 (80%). For non-metric, this area in square feet is found by multiplying the number of pounds of CO2 emissions of a product by 3.8. Based on the ‘habitat, life, extinction formulas v2‘.
b/ The “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” number is a way to visualize how many kilograms (or pounds) of plant and animal life might be allowed to come back and create natural habitat again, and/or, how many kilograms (or pounds) of plant and animal life in untouched natural habitat will not be lost, as a result of not buying a product.
“Loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” is used to describe the weight of the life that could live in an area of statistically typical land and/or ocean that could support a biodiverse ecosystem, but instead, is being currently used or depleted, or will be used or depleted by humankind within a current year, as a result of making or using a product or service. This weight is found by multiplying the CO2 emissions (either kilograms or pounds) of a product by 2.4 . Based on the ‘habitat, life, extinction formulas v2‘.
c/ “Trigger 1 potential species extinction” is used to describe how many of a product (if they are made) it would take to result in the release of the amount of CO2 emissions that correlates to one extinction in a current year — considering the CO2 emissions released by that product. This trigger number is found by dividing 200,000,000 kilograms by the product’s CO2 emissions in kilograms. For non-metric, divide 429,000,000 pounds by the product’s CO2 emissions in pounds. Based on the ‘habitat, life, extinction formulas v2‘.
matrixes.
Use the ecofx matrixes to power up your consumer and business decisions for the planet — such as the beer, car/ automobile, airline flights, clothes dryer, shoes, t-shirt and denim pants matrixes at xoearth.org/ecofx-wiki.Plus, anyone can use the habitat, life, extinction formulas v2 to make a new product or service matrix to add to the XOEarth.org/ecofx-wiki. For an Excel spreadsheet that does some of the math, download ecofxcalculatorV2.xls.
Estimated carbon footprint, loss of natural habitat potential for one year, loss of plant and animal life potential for one year, and extinction potential, from producing, packaging, shipping and using a product. ———– + Except for CO2 emissions, estimates are based on habitat, life, extinction formulas v2. + Estimates do not include the possible long-term ecological effects of climate change and persistent toxins. Formulas use “human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)” to “CO2 emissions” correlation. ———– 1 kg(kilogram) = 2.2 lb(pounds) 1 m^2(square meter) = 10.8 ft^2(square feet) 1 km(kilometers) = .62 mi(miles) 1 liter = .26 gallons | ||||||
| Dress (strappy) CO2 from ‘patagonia.com/ web/ us/ footprint’ for their Vitaliti dress |
Product materials. 61% org cotton, 30% recycled polyester, 9% spandex .28 kg .63 lb |
CO2 emissions to make this product. 14 kg 31 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make this product. 10.8 m^2 116.4 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to make this product. 33.6 kg 73.9 lb |
How many of this product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 13.9 million |
|
| Jacket/Shell combo made with Polartec and fleece CO2 from ‘patagonia .com/ web/ us/ footprint’ for their Talus jacket |
Product materials. Polyester, nylon .64 kg 1.4 lb |
CO2 emissions to make this product. 30 kg 66 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make this product. 23 m^2 249 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to make this product. 72 kg 158 lb |
How many of this product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 6.5 million |
|
| 4Runner Toyota 16 mpg / CO2 data from Toyota 120,000 miles lifetime |
Product materials. Steel, aluminum, plastic, copper, etc. |
CO2 released in the lifetime of this product. 118 tons 260,000 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year in the lifetime of this product. 91,000 m^2 981,000 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year in the lifetime of this product. 283 tons 623,000 lb |
How many of this product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 1,652 |
|
| Prius Toyota 46 mpg / CO2 data from Toyota 120,000 miles lifetime |
Product materials. Steel, aluminum, plastic, copper, etc. |
CO2 released in the lifetime of this product. 44 tons 96,800 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year in the lifetime of this product. 33,900 m^2 365,900 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year in the lifetime of this product. 105 tons 232,000 lb |
How many of this product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 4,400 |
|
card.
Ecofx participants are also invited to sign the ecofx pledge on the back of the ecofx card that says::
“Before buying (or selling) a product or service, I pledge to estimate the ecological effects it has on natural habitat, on humankind, extinction and/or climate change, and then decide if the personal benefit outweighs the environmental impact.”
#4 The ecofx card print-page #4 has 4 cards on each print page. (Cut out and fold to get 4 cards out of eachs page.) >>
#8 The ecofx card print-page #8 has 8 cards on each print page. (To print both sides of the cards, run the paper through the printer two times.) >>
#10 The ecofx card print-page #10 has 10 cards on each print page. (However, your printer and browser combo must be capable to do it, and the top and bottom margins need to be set to zero. Internet Explorer does 10-up pretty well.) >>
Here is a page with tips for printing these cards.
formulas.
Estimate the ecological effects of a product, service or choice.
• Decide whether or not to buy or use the product based on its environmental impact.
• Use the info to make an ecofx matrix for the product to add to the XOEarth.org/ecofx-wiki.
• Show the ecofx of the product to others to help them make eco smart decisions.
The ecofx short list has some products and their estimated CO2 emissions in kilograms that you can use to try out the formulas.
Formulas to estimate the loss of natural habitat potential for one year, the loss of plant and animal life potential for one year, and the extinction potential from producing, packaging, shipping and using a product, service, choice, or from extracting and utilizing a raw material. ———– Step 1/ Determine the CO2 emissions of the product, service or choice. (CO2 emission estimates may be found via the company that offers the product, life cyle analysis software such as openLCA, the ecofx.org ‘short list’ ‘card’ ‘raw materials matrix’ or ‘ecofxcalculatorV2.xls spreadsheet’, or other life cycle software. Step 2/ Multiply the CO2 emissions of the product in kilograms by .8 to estimate the loss of natural habitat potential for one year in square meters. Multiply the CO2 emissions of the product in pounds by 3.8 to estimate the loss of natural habitat potential for one year in square feet. Step 3/ Multiply the CO2 emissions of the product in kilograms by 2.4 to estimate the loss of plant and animal life in natural habitat potential for one year in kilograms. Multiply the CO2 emissions of the product in pounds by 2.4 to estimate the loss of plant and animal life in natural habitat potential for one year in pounds. Step 4/ Divide 200,000,000 kilograms by the product’s CO2 emissions to estimate how many of the product (if made) it would take to trigger 1 potential species extinction. (To automate the math in these steps use the ecofxcalculatorV2.xls excel spreadsheet.) ———– Formulas use “human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)” to “CO2 emissions” correlation. Estimates do not include the possible long-term effects of climate change and persistent toxins. See footnotes for formula basis, assumptions and sources. + v2 revision by Stele Ely + ———– Thanks to the National Academy of Sciences, NASA, United Nations Environment Programme, World Wildlife Fund, EOEarth and contributing scientists that publish baseline data. ———– 1 kg(kilogram) = 2.2 lb(pounds) 1 m^2(square meter) = 10.8 ft^2(square feet) 1 km(kilometers) = .62 mi(miles) 1 liter = .26 gallons | ||||||
| Product name. | Product materials. | CO2 emissions to make this product, or, to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb of the material. | Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make this product, or, to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb of the material. | Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to make this product, or, to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb of the material. | How many/much to trigger 1 potential species extinction. | |
| metric correlation formulas | . | # kg CO2 | # kg CO2 x .77 = m^2 loss hab | # kg CO2 x 2.4 = kg loss life | 195 mn kg / # kg CO2 = trigger |
|
| non-metric correlation formulas | . | # lb CO2 | # lb CO2 x 3.78 = ft^2 loss hab | # lb CO2 x 2.4 = lb loss life | 429 mn lb / # lb CO2 = trigger |
|
| (product example) Dress (strappy) (CO2 from patagonia .com) |
Materials. 61% org cotton, 30% recycled polyester, 9% spandex .28 kg .63 lb |
CO2 emissions to make this product. 14 kg 31 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make this product. 10.8 m^2 116.4 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to make this product. 33.6 kg 73.9 lb |
How many of this product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 13.9 million |
|
| (material example) Paper |
virgin CO2 emissions from nexus. openLCA.org |
CO2 emissions to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb of this material. 8.8 kg 19.4 lb |
Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb. 6.8 m^2 73.2 ft^2 |
Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year, to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb. 21.1 kg 46.5 lb |
Quantity extracted and manufactured with a potential to trigger 1 extinction. 22,159 tons |
|
|
_____________ column 1 _____________ The source of CO2 emissions statistics (carbon dioxide footprint) may come from:: • The company that offers the product, service or raw material. • Life cycle analysis done by a third party. These can sometimes be found via a web search. • The online life cycle software at www.openLCA.org. • The ‘ecofx short list’, ‘ecofx card’ or the ‘raw materials matrix’ at ecofx.org. • The ecofxcalculatorV2.xls excel spreadsheet. • Life cycle software. The “loss of natural habitat potential for one year” number is not a measure of how much *additional* natural habitat in nature is being lost each year — even though the *additional* natural habitat lost is included in that number. The “loss of natural habitat potential for one year” number represents an area that has a “part one” and “part two”. “Part one” of this area has been appropriated/occupied by humans for some time — possibly for centuries or just a few years. “Part one” is an area that is considered “natural habitat potential” because if it were left alone or restored it could be natural habitat. This area may include locations where human structures, manufacturing, resource extraction, agriculture, roads, housing and landscaping exist. “Part two” is the area of *additional* natural habitat lost for one year due to to human structures, manufacturing, resource extraction, agriculture, roads, housing and landscaping. The ratio of “part one” to “part two” is not defined here. Therefore, the “loss of natural habitat potential for one year” number is only a way to visualize this: how much human appropriated/occupied land and water might *either* be restored back to natural habitat, and/or, how much untouched natural habitat on land or water will not be lost, as a result of not buying a product. For example, if a product has 100 kg of CO2 emissions, multiply the 100 kg of CO2 emissions by the metric correlation factor of .77 to get the loss of natural habitat potential for one year of 77 m^2. For non-metric, the area of “potential natural habitat loss for one year” in ft^2 is calculated by multiplying the lb of CO2 emissions by the non-metric correlation factor of 3.78 . To automate the math, download the ecofxcalculatorV2.xls Excel spreadsheet. a) That the average global net primary productivity (NPP) per hectare equals the global NPP divided by the global 13.4 billion hectares of biologically productive land and water. b) That there is a substantial correlation between the global carbon dioxide emissions of humankind, and the amount of global bioproductivity that is depleted, harvested or managed for human use (i.e. human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)). c) That HANPP is a measure of the equivalent lost opportunity of natural habitat to maintain or establish itself. d) That there is a substantial correlation between the carbon dioxide emissions from making or using a specific product or service, and the amount of bioproductivity that is depleted, harvested or managed for human use from making or using the product or service, based on system infrastructure sharing and multiple use interdependence. (419,600,000,000,000 kg/ 134,000,000,000,000 m^2 = 3.13 kg per 1 m^2) Since 1 kg of CO2 emissions correlates to the loss of life in natural habitat potential for one year of 2.4 kg of life as shown under the _column 5_ section below, we solve for 3.13 kg / 1 m^2 = 2.4 kg/ ?m^2. Therefore, ? = .77 m^2. Therefore, the final correlation factor is .77 m^2. That is, 1 kg of CO2 emissions correlates to the loss of habitat potential for one year of .77 m^2. The “hydrated” net primary production (NPP) of 419.6 gt was derived from the current “dry” NPP estimate of 104.9 giga-tonnes (gt) (Geider, 2001) of carbon per year. “Dry” NPP is the quantity of carbon that is turned into biomass by autotrophs per year in the Earth’s biosphere. However, this “dry” NPP excludes the weight of the other minerals and water that normally comprise living biomass. Living organic matter is by weight about 50% carbon and 50% other minerals — excluding it water content. In total, most organic matter is by weight at least 50% water. Therefore, the NPP of 104.9 gt of carbon is multiplied by 2 to include the other minerals, and then multiplied by 2 again to include the water — resulting in 419.6 gt of “hydrated life”. This correlation does not include the possible long-term effects of climate change and persistent toxins. The correlation does estimate the loss of habitat potential in the current year based on HANPP. More info and forums regarding formulas are at ecofx.org. The “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” number (in kilograms or pounds) is not a measure of how much *additional* plant and animal life in natural habitat is being lost each year — even though the *additional* plant and animal life in natural habitat lost is included in that number. The “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” number represents the combined mass of “part one” and “part two”. “Part one” of this mass has been appropriated/occupied by humans for some time — for centuries or a few years. “Part one” is the mass that is considered “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” because if locations where human structures, manufacturing, resource extraction, agriculture, roads and landscaping were left alone or restored, it could then again be plant and animal life in natural habitat. “Part two” of this mass is *additional* “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” due to human structures, manufacturing, resource extraction, agriculture, roads and landscaping. The ratio of “part one” to “part two” is not defined here. Therefore, the “loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat for one year” number is primarily a way to visualize this: how much plant and animal life might *either* be allowed to come back and create natural habitat, and/or, how much plant and animal life in untouched natural habitat will not be lost, as a result of not buying a product. For example, if a product has 100 kg of CO2 emissions, multiply the 100 kg of CO2 emissions by the metric correlation factor of 2.4 to get the “loss of life potential in natural habitat for one year” of 240 kg. For non-metric, the lb of “loss of life potential in natural habitat for one year” in lb is calculated by multiplying the lb of CO2 emissions by the non-metric correlation factor of 2.4 . To automate the math, download the ecofxcalculatorV2.xls Excel spreadsheet. a) That there is a substantial correlation between the global carbon dioxide footprint of humankind, and the amount of global bioproductivity that is depleted, harvested or managed for human use [i.e. human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)]. b) That HANPP is a measure of the equivalent lost opportunity of natural habitat to maintain or establish itself. d) That there is a substantial correlation between the carbon dioxide emissions from making or using a specific product or service, and the amount of bioproductivity that is depleted, harvested or managed for human use from making or using the product or service, based on system infrastructure sharing and multiple use interdependence. The correlation factor is found by:: Multiplying the weight of the global net primary production (NPP) of the land, by the percentage of human appropriated net primary production (HANPP) of the land, to get the weight of the HANPP of the land. Multiplying the weight of the global net primary production (NPP) of the oceans, by the percentage of human appropriated net primary production (HANPP) of the oceans, to get the weight of HANPP of the oceans. Adding the weight of the land HANPP to the ocean HANPP, and then dividing by the global output of carbon dioxide by humankind, to get average kg of CO2 per kg of HANPP. The result is the _column 5_ correlation factor. The 2007 NPP estimates 56.4 giga-tonnes (gt) from terrestrial lifeforms per year, and 48.5 gt from ocean lifeforms per year — totaling 104.9 gt (Geider, 2001). Both the 56.4 gt and 48.5 gt are then multiplied by 4 to adjust these “dry” NPP carbon statistics from the research papers we have sourced to include the other minerals and water present in most living organic matter. This results in 225.6 gt of “hydrated” terrestrial life, and 194 gt of “hydrated” ocean life — totaling 419.6 gt. In other words, because dry organic matter is about 50% carbon and 50% other minerals, both the 56.4 gt and 48.5 gt are multiplied by 2. Also, because living organic matter is usually at least 50% water, they are multiplied by another 2.) A terrestrial HANPP percentage of 23.8% was sourced via Global human appropriation of net primary production by H Halberl et al. So, 23.8% x 225.6 gt = 53.7 gt of “hydrated” terrestrial life NPP. An ocean HANPP percentage of 6% that was estimated by Stele Ely is used because marine HANPP estimates have not been found in peer reviewed sources. This 6% is probably very low, and is loosely based on …brave new ocean and other resources. Contact ecofx.org if you have a suggestion or comment. So, 6% x 194 gt = 11.6 gt of “hydrated” ocean life HANPP. Therefore, 53.7 gt + 11.6 gt = 65.3 gt of global “hydrated” HANPP life per year. Then, to get the correlation factor, the 65.3 gt of “hydrated” HANPP is divided by humankind’s annual CO2 emissions of 27.25 gt. (65,300,000,000,000 kg / 27,250,000,000,000 kg = 2.4 kg of potential life loss per 1 kg of CO2.) In other words, 1 kg of CO2 corresponds to the loss of 2.4 kg of life potential in natural habitat for one year. This correlation does not include the possible long-term effects of climate change and persistent toxins. The correlation does estimate the loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year in the current year based on HANPP. More info and forums regarding formulas are at ecofx.org. The “trigger 1 species extinction” number is calculated by dividing the correlation factor of 195,000,000 kg, by the kilograms of “CO2 emissions” from making, packaging, shipping and/or using a product or material. For example, if a product has 400 kg of CO2 emissions, divide the 400 kg of CO2 emissions into 195,000,000 kg to get 487,500 of the product to trigger 1 potential species extinction. For non-metric, divide the 880 lb of CO2 emissions into 429,000,000 lb to get the extinction trigger of 487,500. a) That there is a substantial correlation between the global carbon dioxide footprint of humankind, and the number of estimated yearly extinctions. b) That there is a substantial correlation between the carbon dioxide emissions from making or using a specific product or service, and the degree to which extinction potential increases in that year, based on system infrastructure sharing and multiple use interdependence. This correlation factor was determined by dividing the total global CO2 emissions of 27,245,758 tonnes of humankind in 2004 by an estimate of 140,000 species extinctions per year (Future of Biodiversity, L. Pimm). (27,250,000,000,000 kg / 140,000 extinctions = 195,000,000 kg of CO2 emissions per year per extinction) | ||||||
co2.
Here are a few basic tips on how to estimate the CO2 emissions for a product using the ecofx card, the wiki or the short list.
Then multiply the CO2 emissions you just got for the product by .8 to get the loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make that product. Or, enter the CO2 emissions estimate for the product into the ecofx calculator and it will be calculated automatically.
Other good ways to find a product’s CO2 emissions include openLCA software, the raw materials matrix, or a web search.
Once the CO2 emissions are found for a product using the above methods::
• Multiply the kilograms of CO2 that are released to make a product by .8 to estimate the loss of habitat potential for one year in square meters to make the product. *
• For non-metric, multiply the pounds of CO2 released to make a product by 3.8 to estimate the loss of habitat potential for one year in square feet to make the product. ] *
• Check out the habitat, life, extinction formulas v2 to estimate other ecofx too.
The *Environmental Impact Of Raw Materials* matrix is included below for those who want to use it to calculate the CO2 emissions released to make a product or service.
Estimated carbon footprint, loss of habitat potential for one year, loss of plant and animal life potential for one year, and extinction potential, to extract, produce and manufacture these raw materials into a product. ———– Use this raw materials matrix to: • Compare the ecofx of various raw materials.• • Calculate the CO2 emissions for a product or service.• • To build a product matrix for the XOEarth.org/ecofx-wiki and beyond.• To use this matrix to estimate the CO2 emissions for a product, multiply the approximate weight of each of the materials used to manufacture and package the product by the appropriate numbers in column 3. Add the results together to get the total CO2 emissions. Then use the correlation factors to calculate the other ecofx for the product. For a spreadsheet that does some of the math download ecofxcalculatorV2.xls in excel. For CO2 emissions only use nexus.openLCA.org. See footnotes for more. ———– + CO2 emissions estimates come from nexus.openLCA.org. + + Except for CO2 emissions, estimates are based on habitat, life, extinction formulas v2. + (This matrix can be used to calculate other ecofx for a product, however, many find that it is usually easier to use the habitat, life, extinction formulas v2 once they have the CO2 emissions.) ———– Formulas use “human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)” to “CO2 emissions” correlation. Estimates do not include the possible long-term effects of climate change and persistent toxins. ———– 1 kg(kilogram) = 2.2 lb(pounds) 1 m^2(square meter) = 10.8 ft^2(square feet) 1 km(kilometers) = .62 mi(miles) 1 liter = .26 gallons | |||||
| Raw material. | Details. | CO2 emissions to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb of this material. | Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb. | Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year, to extract and manufacture 1 kg/ 2.2 lb. | Quantity extracted and manufactured with a potential to trigger 1 extinction. |
| metric correlation formulas |
. | # kg CO2 | # kg CO2 x .77 = m^2 loss hab | # kg CO2 x 2.4 = kg loss life | 195 mn kg / # kg CO2 = quantity |
| non-metric correlation formulas |
. | # lb CO2 | # lb CO2 x 3.78 = ft^2 loss hab | # lb CO2 x 2.4 = lb loss life | 429 mn lb / # lb CO2 = quantity |
| ABS/ PA (plastic) | . | 44 kg 96 lb |
33.9 m^2 365.9 ft^2 |
105.6 kg 232.2 lb |
4,432 tons |
| HDPE/ LDPE (plastic) | . | 41 kg 90.2 lb |
31.6 m^2 340 ft^2 |
98.4 kg 216 lb |
4,756 tons |
| Polyester (plastic) | . | 21 kg 46.2 lb |
16.2 m^2 174.6 ft^2 |
50.4 kg 110.9 lb |
9,286 tons |
| PVC/ PU (plastic) | . | 28 kg 61.6 lb |
21.6 m^2 232.9 ft^2 |
67.2 kg 147.8 lb |
6,964 tons |
| aluminum | virgin | 80 kg 176 lb |
61.6 m^2 665.3 ft^2 |
192 kg 442.4 lb |
2,438 tons |
| aluminum | recycled | 8 kg 17.6 lb |
6.2 m^2 66.5 ft^2 |
19.2 kg 42.2 lb |
24,375 tons |
| brass | . | 25 kg 55 lb |
19.3 m^2 207.9 ft^2 |
60 kg 132 lb |
7,800 tons |
| copper | . | 28 kg 61.6 lb |
21.6 m^2 232.9 ft^2 |
67.2 kg 147.8 lb |
6,964 tons |
| steel | virgin | 13 kg 28.6 lb |
10 m^2 108.1 ft^2 |
31.2 kg 68.6 lb |
15,000 tons |
| steel | recycled | 4 kg 8.8 lb |
3 m^2 33.3 ft^2 |
9.6 kg 21.1 lb |
48,750 tons |
| zinc | . | 20 kg 44 lb |
15.4 m^2 166.3 ft^2 |
48 kg 105.6 lb |
9,750 tons |
| glass | 100% recycled | 2.4 kg 5.28 lb |
1.85 m^2 20 ft^2 |
5.8 kg 12.7 lb |
81,250 tons |
| glass | normal – not recycled? | 6.4 kg 14 lb |
4.9 m^2 53.2 ft^2 |
15.4 kg 33.8 lb |
30,469 tons |
| glass | tempered | 10 kg 22 lb |
7.7 m^2 83.1 ft^2 |
24 kg 52.8 lb |
19,500 tons |
| cardboard | . | 6 kg 13.2 lb |
4.6 m^2 49.9 ft^2 |
14.4 kg 31.7 lb |
32,500 tons |
| corrugated cardboard | . | 5 kg 11 lb |
3.9 m^2 41.6 ft^2 |
12 kg 26.4 lb |
39,000 tons |
| paper | virgin | 8.8 kg 19.4 lb |
6.8 m^2 73.2 ft^2 |
21.1 kg 46.5 lb |
22,159 tons |
| paper | recycled | 5.6 kg 12.32 lb |
4.3 m^2 46.6 ft^2 |
13.4 kg 29.6 lb |
34,821 tons |
| softwood | . | 4.8 kg 10.6 lb |
3.7 m^2 39.9 ft^2 |
11.5 kg 25.3 lb |
40,625 tons |
| hardwood | . | 8 kg 17.6 lb |
6.2 m^2 66.5 ft^2 |
19.2 kg 42.2 lb |
24,375 tons |
| hardboard | . | 10 kg 22 lb |
7.7 m^2 83.2 ft^2 |
24 kg 52.8 lb |
19,500 tons |
| plywood | . | 4.2 kg 9.2 lb |
3.2 m^2 34.9 ft^2 |
10.8 kg 22.2 lb |
46,429 tons |
| rubber | natural latex | 27 kg 59.4 lb |
20.8 m^2 224.5 ft^2 |
64.8 kg 142.6 lb |
7,222 tons |
| rubber | synthetic | 44 kg 96.8 lb |
33.9 m^2 365.9 ft^2 |
105.6 kg 232.3 lb |
4,432 tons |
| solvents/ adhesives paints |
. | 35 kg 77 lb |
27 m^2 291 ft^2 |
84 kg 185 lb |
5,571 tons |
|
To calculate the CO2 emissions for a product using column 3, multiply the estimated weight of each of the materials used to manufacture and package the product, by the column 3 number that corresponds to the materials. Add the results together. For example, to calculate the CO2 emissions for a product that is made of 2 kg of ABS plastic and 3 kg of aluminum (virgin). First, multiply the 2 kg of ABS by 44 kg found in column 3 for ABS. That equals 88 kg of CO2 emissions for the ABS. Then, multiply the 3 kg of aluminum (virgin) by 80 kg found in column 3 for aluminum (virgin). That equals 240 kg of CO2 emissions for the aluminum (virgin). Finally, add the 88 kg to the 240 kg to get an estimate of 328 kg total CO2 emissions for the product. Once the product’s CO2 emissions are known, the loss of habitat potential for one year, loss of life potential for one year and extinction trigger can be calculated by using the correlation factors. For example, for the product above, multiply the 328 kg of CO2 emissions by the metric correlation factor of .77 to get the loss of natural habitat potential for one year of 253 m^2. Then multiply the 328 kg of CO2 emissions by the metric correlation factor of 2.4 to get the loss of life potential in natural habitat for one year of 787 kg. Then divide the 328 kg of CO2 emissions into 195,000,000 kg to get the extinction trigger of 594,512 (how many of the product triggers one potential extinction). | |||||
{ plus: the ecofx + XOEarth Dance }
ecological effects <> carbon footprints
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