The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. By contrast, the typical German household contributes 27,000 pounds and the average Swedish household's contribution is only 15,000 pounds.

According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. households account for 21% of all the energy consumed in the U.S. annually and directly account for roughly the same amount (21%) of the U.S.'s annual carbon dioxide emissions. Taken collectively, US households directly produce about 8% of the planet's carbon dioxide emissions, and through our purchases we are indirectly responsible for another 17%.

Clearly, we have much room for improvement. As David Gershon stated, “If the bad news is that individual Americans are a major part of the problem, the good news is that we can also be a major part of the solution. By making specific, targeted changes to actions we already take every day, we can significantly reduce our CO2 emissions.”

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Carbon Dioxide Footprint?

No doubt large-scale solutions, such as switching to cleaner energy sources, are necessary to address global warming, and government and industry each have crucial roles to play. But individuals likewise play a crucial role, and small adjustments in our daily habits can have a positive, and significant, impact toward solving the problem of global warming.

For example, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, if every U.S. household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, it would save enough energy to light more than 8 million homes and save over $900 million in utility bills.

Will You Have To Make Major Sacrifices To Conserve Energy?