6 Ways to Offset Your Web Surfing Emissions

The average American spends nearly 28 hours a month web surfing. Sure, websites like Planet Green are irresistible, after all. But when we look down the various paths to try and tally up carbon emissions, we quickly see that web surfing adds up to a whole lot of emissions.

First there is the amount of electricity to run your computer; the energy it takes to run the power plant that generates the electricity, and the lines to carry the electricity to your home; the carbon created in the manufacturing and shipping of your computer, plus the carbon emissions emitted by the computer company itself; the emissions generated by the data servers to house all the information and websites you're surfing; and the emissions from the companies whose sites you surf.

Woo wee—the list grows and becomes ever scarier. But offsetting the carbon emissions from web surfing is actually really easy.

So let's focus on only offsetting one thing: the carbon emissions generated from running your computer while web surfing.

First we have to find out how many pounds of CO2 we emit per month while web surfing. For the sake of ease, we're going to use averages for our numbers. A personal computer uses about 150 watts, and a monitor about 120 watts. So:

(120+150 x 28 hours per month of use) ö 1000 = 7.56 kWh per month

Next we multiply that by how much CO2 is generated to get 1 kWh of electricity. According to Energy Star, 1 kWh of electricity generates 1.55 lbs of CO2. So:

7.56 kWh x 1.55 lbs CO2 = 11.718 lbs of CO2

Let's round that up and say that we have 12 lbs of CO2 to offset each month. This is actually really easy to offset by doing just on or two tiny things per month.

1. Adjust the Heat
   Turn down your thermostat by 2 degrees in winter and up by 2 degrees in summer to save about 166 lbs of CO2 per month.


2. Carpool
   Skip driving your car one day a week and save anywhere from 13lbs to 32 lbs of CO2 depending on how you get to work. Walking or biking saves the most, while driving with others or taking the bus saves a bit less.


3. Turn Down the Hot Water
   Turn down your water heater by 10 degrees to save about 61 lbs of CO2 each month.


4. Skip the Dishes
   Okay, well don't completely skip them. But run the dishwasher in energy-saver mode only when there is a full load to save 70 lbs of CO2 per month.


5. String Up the Clothes Line
   Dry half of your clothes on a line or rack to save 60 lbs of CO2 per month.


6. Change the Lights
   Replace a 70 watt bulb with a 9 watt LED and save 5 lbs of CO2 per month.


7. Switch From Cereal to Scrambled Eggs

Eating a diet of low-carbon foods can help offset CO2 emissions. Locally grown and raised organic foods have a far lower carbon footprint than mass-produced items found in the supermarket or fast food. There is a whole range of small daily choices you can make with food that can lower your carbon footprint.

More Than Just Web Surfing Can Be Carbon-Guilt Free
Offsetting one thing you love to do, like surfing the internet, can be easy. Take it a step further and think about other things you love to do that can be offset by simple changes if your life.

For instance, the average computer causes about 497 lbs of CO2 each year. Perhaps you could try offsetting all of the emissions from working on your computer, instead of just those generated from web surfing.

Find Out More on Lowering Your Carbon Footprint:
Car Care Tips to Lower Your Carbon
Pledge to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
How Carbon Footprints Work
How Carbon Offsets Work
Survey: Do You Offset?

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