Friday, February 10, 2012

Measuring our CO2 emissions

Why aren't we measuring our emissions?  My wife and I recently purchased a used Toyota Prius.  It has a fuel gage that provides instantaneous readings of gas usage, along with a running average of miles per gallon (m.p.g.). It was amazing to see that even in the winter months, with a conservative driving technique, we averaged 42 m.p.g. on our first tank of gas.

This fuel gage has me thinking of emissions, which never get measured.  What if we could each see our CO2 emissions when we're driving, or even at home when our furnace or hot water heater is running? A business friend of mine once commented that we only improve upon those things which we measure. If we're really serious about reducing emissions we should be keenly aware of what we are emitting, and be taxed accordingly, based on our output.

On a personal note, since hearing about the value of measuring progress I've made it a point to annually measure my IQ and height.  Alas, as you might surmise, no improvements.

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