Google Starts UK Carbon Footprint Project

Google has teamed with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK to give users a chance to calculatetheir carbon footprints.   The UK Carbon Footprint Project will “help people find information that matters to them quicklyand easily. Through the UK Carbon Footprint Project we make information on calculating and reducing your carbon footprint, as well as information on climate change in the UK, easily accessible toeveryone.”   Those who sign up make a personalized, which helps them find information on the project and also lets them check off their carbon-reducing actions and update their carbonfootprint on the map.   That map shows all those taking part across the country and their individual actions and the total carbon saved. Google’s carbon calculator was developed inpartnership with the Energy Saving Trust and RSA, draws on Defra’s ‘Act on CO2’ calculator for its data, calculations and approved methodologies.   Environment Secretary HilaryBenn said,   "I am delighted that Google is using our data and calculations for its carbon calculator which forms part of its new web project. The project is interactive and, I trust, willencourage people to find ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint. We have decided to openly share our calculator data with organizations ranging from local authorities and charities to bigbusinesses, to ensure that even more people have the chance to calculate their carbon footprint using the most up to date data and calculations – and because it’s so vital that we all worktogether in the fight against climate change."