How do we measure CO2?

We measure CO2 by weight - kg or tonnes. It is difficult to visualise what a kg or tonne of CO2 looks like as we cannot see it.

1 Tonne of CO2 would fill a hot air balloon, or 6 double decker buses.

We know how much CO2 is released when using 1kWh (unit of energy) of different energy sources. Therefore, to work out our carbon footprint, we must use these figures to multiply with the kWh used for each fuel. 

When we burn our own fuel, for example, we burn gas or oil in our boiler to heat the house, the CO2 is released from the boiler itself.

It works out slightly different when we use electricity. Even though we are using electricity on site (for example in our home), the CO2 is actually released at the power station.

Next Page - What effect does CO2 have on the atmosphere?

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