Carbon footprint test

--Green Lake House--
~2500 sq. ft., 2 residents
March 2011
Eletricity : 443 kWh
Natural Gas : 17.5 mcf
Carbon footprint : 4734 lbs. / month

--Kalamazoo House--
~1100 sq. ft., 3 residents
March 2011
Electricity : 654 kWh
Natural Gas : 5.1 mcf
Carbon footprint : 2649 lbs. / month


Two different houses on opposite sides of the state, both are in similar climates but have contrasting floorplans and energy consumption patterns. The driving habits are not too far off, us in Kalamazoo drive around 1500 miles a month between two cars. At Green Lake, the two residents drive about 1800 miles a month again, between two cars.

The World Resources Institute is an American think tank based in Washington D.C. Their mission is to "move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations".

The carbon footprint model they created uses the two most carbon intensive activities most people carry out daily. Transportation, miles per month and the efficiency of the vehicle - is half of the puzzle. The other side is energy usage in the home. The Green Lake house has a gas power water heater, clothes dryer, and stove. Kalamazoo house uses electricity for the appliances. Both houses have gas furnaces.