Quick Look at Some Data:
Producing each line on the following list releases ONE TON of CO2. To keep global warming under 2°, we have to keep CO2 under 2 tons per person per year worldwide. If you use more CO2 now, you need to use less later. We have global warming because the world now averages 6 tons of CO2 per person (US 22, China 4, India 1).
90 lb of red meat (cows' methane & growing grain)
300 lb of chicken, fish or eggs
700 lb of cereal or carbohydrate
1,200 lb of fruit or vegetables
1,000 lb of paper or plastic
26 square feet of living & working space (building it)
1 year of electricity (at 100 watts) from grid
100 square feet of solar collectors (300 watts on sunny days)
20,000 gallons of hot water
700,000 disposable plastic bags, recycled
1,600 miles in a 28 mpg car
1,600 passenger miles in a plane
2,000 miles in a 40 mpg car
3.000 passenger miles in a local bus
3,000 miles walking (producing food; shoes, sidewalks)
5,000 passenger miles in a train
8,000 miles bicycling (pedal or electric)
12,000 passenger miles in a long distance bus
(These include making vehicle, road, rails, airports, etc.)
$1,700 spent in USA, overall average
$1,500 spent on construction in USA
$2,000 spent on hotels or restaurants in USA
$3,000 spent on education, health, telephone, internet in USA
$7,000 spent on computers in USA
Just a little meat, driving, flying, buying or construction creates a ton of CO2. Keep your eye on these; they are far more important than hot water, disposable plastic bags, or unplugging equipment.