Science & Energy
Carbon Footprint
Updated 2026-02-24
Definition
The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organization, event, or product, expressed as tons of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) per year. The EPA estimates the average American household footprint at 48 metric tons CO₂e annually. The largest household levers are transportation (a gas car driven 12,000 miles emits roughly 4.6 tons), home energy, diet (replacing beef with plants saves up to 0.8 tons/year), and air travel (a transatlantic round trip is about 1.6 tons per passenger).
Primary source: EPA greenhouse gas sources
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