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About Our Calculations
It’s easy to get caught up in carbon credits, kilograms of emissions and all the confusing environmental language. It’s difficult to tell how much of an impact you’re having, and what you might be able to do about it. So what we’ve done is work out the level of emissions for common activities, such as driving a car. That way, you can easily understand how easy it is to make a difference, simply by using your GE Money eco MasterCard. How we made our calculations is explained here. The examples are calculated based on a fixed carbon price that is valid until 31st March 2010.
Light globe used for a month = 9.5kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Calculated based on a 60-watt incandescent light globe, used for 5 hours per day, 365 days per year, divided by 12 months = 9.13 KWh. 1.046kg CO2e per KWh = 114.5kgs divided by 12 = 9.5kgs
Source:
www.epa.qld.gov.au
Domestic flight (Sydney to Melbourne) = 178.25 kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Calculations based on a return economy Sydney to Melbourne flight
Source: International Civil Aviation (ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator)
Car used for a month = 322kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Average km travelled per vehicle obtained by dividing total vehicle-KM by total number of registered vehicles = 15,472km 0.25kg per KM travelled = 3868kg CO2e per year or 322kg per month
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
Monthly Household energy consumption = 690.25 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions
Annual Per Capita household emissions = 3.3t CO2e
Average Household Size = 2.51 persons
Average Annual Household Emissions = 8.28t CO2e
Monthly Emissions = 690.25 kgs CO2e
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
ABS cat. no. 4102.0, Australian Social Trends, Data Cube extracted 30 Dec 2008 Number of Households = Resident Population/Average persons per houshold ABS: Cat. No. 2068.0 - 2006 Census Tables
Paying a mobile telephone bill of $70 per month for 12 months on the card earns carbon offsets more than the annual emissions of an average large screen LCD TV that is on for six hours per day.
Source: www.epa.qld.gov.au
Based on 75 LCD TVs tested by CNET for power consumption between roughly January 2006 and December 2008
500km’s of car travel = 153kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Spending $200 on the card earns carbon offsets equal to the emissions of approximately 500 Km's of driving by the average car on Australian roads.
Source: Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
11,000 cars off the road = over 44,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
If 10,000 people spent $600 per month with the eco MasterCard, the carbon offsets purchased in their names each year would total over 44,000 metric tons based on 2009 carbon prices. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of over 11,000 cars from Australian roads.
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
Average Australian person = 5,370kg of greenhouse gas emissions
An eco MasterCard cardholder who spends $700 a month on their card over the course of a year can earn over 5 metric tons of carbon offsets, enough to offset an average Australian’s annual carbon emissions from vehicle use and household energy consumption.
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
ABS cat. no. 4102.0, Australian Social Trends, Data Cube extracted
30 Dec 2008
Number of Households = Resident Population/Average persons per houshold
ABS: Cat. No. 2068.0 - 2006 Census Tables
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Light globe used for a month = 9.5kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Calculated based on a 60-watt incandescent light globe, used for 5 hours per day, 365 days per year, divided by 12 months = 9.13 KWh. 1.046kg CO2e per KWh = 114.5kgs divided by 12 = 9.5kgs
Source:
www.epa.qld.gov.au
Domestic flight (Sydney to Melbourne) = 178.25 kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Calculations based on a return economy Sydney to Melbourne flight
Source: International Civil Aviation (ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator)
Car used for a month = 322kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Average km travelled per vehicle obtained by dividing total vehicle-KM by total number of registered vehicles = 15,472km 0.25kg per KM travelled = 3868kg CO2e per year or 322kg per month
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
Monthly Household energy consumption = 690.25 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions
Annual Per Capita household emissions = 3.3t CO2e
Average Household Size = 2.51 persons
Average Annual Household Emissions = 8.28t CO2e
Monthly Emissions = 690.25 kgs CO2e
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
ABS cat. no. 4102.0, Australian Social Trends, Data Cube extracted 30 Dec 2008 Number of Households = Resident Population/Average persons per houshold ABS: Cat. No. 2068.0 - 2006 Census Tables
About the eco MasterCard examples
Large screen TV for a year = 500kg of greenhouse gas emissionsPaying a mobile telephone bill of $70 per month for 12 months on the card earns carbon offsets more than the annual emissions of an average large screen LCD TV that is on for six hours per day.
Source: www.epa.qld.gov.au
Based on 75 LCD TVs tested by CNET for power consumption between roughly January 2006 and December 2008
500km’s of car travel = 153kg of greenhouse gas emissions
Spending $200 on the card earns carbon offsets equal to the emissions of approximately 500 Km's of driving by the average car on Australian roads.
Source: Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
11,000 cars off the road = over 44,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
If 10,000 people spent $600 per month with the eco MasterCard, the carbon offsets purchased in their names each year would total over 44,000 metric tons based on 2009 carbon prices. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of over 11,000 cars from Australian roads.
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
Average Australian person = 5,370kg of greenhouse gas emissions
An eco MasterCard cardholder who spends $700 a month on their card over the course of a year can earn over 5 metric tons of carbon offsets, enough to offset an average Australian’s annual carbon emissions from vehicle use and household energy consumption.
Source:
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Trends and Indicators
www.climatechange.gov.au
ABS cat. no. 4102.0, Australian Social Trends, Data Cube extracted
30 Dec 2008
Number of Households = Resident Population/Average persons per houshold
ABS: Cat. No. 2068.0 - 2006 Census Tables
