We’ve been advised that we humans are destroying the earth with each step, each breath. But it really is hard to fathom exactly what that means. The numbers and premonitions aren’t tangible enough to make our greenhouse gases dilemma something everyone actively fights against on a daily basis.

How about if you knew how many trees you are destroying, and that you have the potential to re-plant, with each press of the “on” button or twist of the keys? The following list gives you a rough idea of how many trees your CO2 emissions equates to on a yearly basis.

The following calculations related to appliances are based on a 2,000-square-foot household and average use of them in a family. The car and motorist calculations were made by Arnia Doria, former Honda executive. Hopefully this list gives you a boosted environmental conscience and help the world cut down on its greenhouse gases.

Can’t plant yourself or want to find a way to get more involved? Organizations like Trees for the Future, Tree People, the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation and GROW can bring action to your intention.

So, the question stands:

How many trees do you need to plant to offset the CO2 emissions of a year’s average use of…

…an unleaded gasoline-fueled vehicle?

6 trees

…a 400cc motorcycle?

6 trees

…a television?

2 trees

…a washing machine?

2-3 trees

…a dryer?

20 trees

…a dishwasher?

10 trees

…a microwave?

4 trees

…an electric heater?

90 trees

…an air-conditioner?

55 trees

…a refrigerator?

21 trees

…a stove?

19 trees

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Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks

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Carrying the torch for green.

In a London Olympics 2012 poster titled “being greener”, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games vows to keep this year’s Games eco-friendly.

London’s Olympic Park will be one of the biggest city parks newly constructed in Europe for more than 150 years. The Games will host 26 Olympic events, 20 Paralympic events, 14,700 athletes, 21,000 media, and 10.8 million ticket holders. While it will inevitably boost the city’s economy, the strain on resources is unavoidable. The Organizing Committee is working hard to maintain a high level of sustainability despite all that needs to be constructed, and the the “being greener” poster is a representation of London’s conscious efforts to make its Olympics the greenest of them all.

The Park will be equipped with some of the most cutting-edge technology to curtail the Games’ greenhouse gas emissions, preserve the natural habitat surrounding the area, as well as to recycle, reuse and reduce all waste. In a pamphlet distributed by the Organizing Committee, the extent of London’s green efforts are detailed.

• 20% of the energy used on the Olympic Park will come from renewable sources
• 4,000 newts and hundreds of toads have been removed from the Park to be protected
• 90% of the materials from the demolition of building in the Olympic Park have been recovered so they can be reused or recycled.
• 50% of materials that are being used to construct the Park will be transported by water or rail, saving thousands of trips on local roads.
• A 120-meter wind turbine in the Park will produce enough electricity for 1,000 homes
• 80 lampposts, 2 tons of red bricks, and 76 tons of paving stones will be saved for reuse on the Park.
• A 3-kilometer footpath and cycle-way will be improved for the local population as well as wildlife.
• Rubbish was removed from 8.35 kilometers of waterways running through the Olympic Park
• 45 hectares of wildlife habitats will be left on and around the Park after the games

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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