Carbon footprint
The total amount of CO2 released over the life cycle of a living creature, product or service. Many human activities, including driving, using electricity or even throwing out your garbage (without recycling) can cause increases in CO2.
According to the World Resources Institute, your total carbon footprint would account for all of the energy used to produce the products and services that you consume, as well as all of your other activities. A carbon footprint tallies all greenhouse gases together, in units of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Sources:
-- "Carbon Footprint," Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 24, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint
-- "Carbon Footprint Calculator," SafeClimate.net. Accessed Sept. 24, 2007. http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/
