Take watering your plants, for example. While plants help cut carbon dioxide, you may be doing more harm than good when you leave your sprinkler on. The water utility company uses a significant amount of electricity, created by burning coal, to pump water. It might be a better idea to rely on a rainstorm.

Taking it one step further
Today carbon footprint calculators can be found all over the Internet. And former Vice President Al Gore recently wrote a book, An Inconvenient Truth (now a movie), to raise awareness of the hand that individuals play in the issue.

“It seems that more and more people are aware of their carbon footprints  today, and with Al Gore’s movie, this thing has gotten a lot of attention lately,” Hoff says. “And that’s not a bad thing. Maybe it will help spur some political action.”

But until that happens, individuals can make a difference, Barnwell says. “The subject is not completely bleak,” he explains. “Our very ability to calculate how much coal we burn helps us understand how to burn less and reduce harmful emissions.”

Hoff says that most of the carbon dioxide that individuals put into the atmosphere comes from the generating of electricity. “By measuring your carbon footprint you can get a better sense of what your individual impact is and which parts of your lifestyle deserve more attention,” Hoff says. “Armed with this information you can more readily take effective action to shrink your carbon footprint.”

Every little bit counts
According to United Nations statistics, the average American is responsible for about 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, a far reater per capita  number than that of any other industrialized country. The U.S. accounts for more than 20% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

So to combat the effects, Hoff suggests using less electricity, driving fewer miles in cars, recycling as much as possible, and being a smart consumer. “If we pay attention to the little things, it can make a difference,” he says.