How Much Is a Ton of CO2?
Lots of folks speak about tons of CO2 mitigated by changing to CFLs, or installing wind generators or PVs. I’m trained in the sciences, and yet I have no idea what a ton of CO2 looks like, or what size it is. I know, I know — it’s the same as a ton of rocks or feathers. But if with a lot of science education, I can’t quite grasp what this quantity is or represents, how is the average human on earth supposed to grasp the concept? Any help from HP on how to grok (that is, get my head around) a ton of CO2? Mick Sagrillo Mick, You’re right. It is hard to get an idea of what a ton of CO2 looks like—it is a colorless (and odorless) gas. I think it makes much better sense to talk about the carbon that goes into making the carbon dioxide. A gallon of gasoline contains approximately 5 pounds of carbon (gasoline weighs about 6 pounds and most of this is carbon). So when you burn 120 gallons of gasoline, you add about 600 pounds of carbon to the atmosphere, which is about 2,200 pounds, or a metri
