Environment: How Green Are You?

You may think you're good to the environment--you drive a fuel-efficient car, you recycle, you buy organic milk. Now there's a way of knowing for sure. Sites like terrapass.com , gocarbonzero.com and nativeenergy.com have calculators that measure your so-called carbon footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide your lifestyle generates. Enter your car's make and model, the number of miles you drive per week, plus your utility bills and ZIP code, and you'll have a pretty good idea of your personal contribution to greenhouse-gas pollution. You can then offset the damage by donating money to sustainable projects like wind farms. Is this a good way of ridding yourself of ecoguilt? The Sierra Club's Brendan Bell says yes--especially if it leads to a change in behavior. Every little bit counts.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go