carbon-footprint
The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions, including digital activities.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the environmental impact of an activity. In Web3, this primarily refers to the CO2 emissions caused by the electricity used to power blockchain networks. Networks that use Proof of Work (like Bitcoin) have a much larger carbon footprint than those using Proof of Stake.
graph LR
Center["carbon-footprint"]:::main
Rel_proof_of_work_pow["proof-of-work-pow"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_proof_of_work_pow "/terms/proof-of-work-pow"
Rel_renewable_energy["renewable-energy"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_renewable_energy "/terms/renewable-energy"
Rel_energy_efficiency["energy-efficiency"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_energy_efficiency "/terms/energy-efficiency"
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classDef pre fill:#0f172a,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef child fill:#0f172a,stroke:#10b981,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef related fill:#0f172a,stroke:#8b5cf6,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
linkStyle default stroke:#4b5563,stroke-width:2px;
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Every time you use electricity, a power plant somewhere might be burning fuel. Your carbon footprint is a score of how much 'smoke' your digital life creates in the world.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
Calculated in units of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). It includes direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2). Offsetting footprints involves carbon credits or switching to renewable energy.