Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is our ability to thrive on this planet in the present without compromising the ability for future generations to thrive.  Sustainability is a way of life.  Everything that we do has an impact.  By understanding that impact, and living in a manner that restores instead of depletes our resources, we can thrive for generations to come.  The human race is in a state of emergency.  Climate destabilization,  waste accumulation, declining biodiversity and rising energy cost threatens our quality of life on Earth.  By making positive change we can reverse this trend and move towards a sustainable society.

Why Do We Measure Carbon Footprint?

There are a number of ways to measure environmental impact, but carbon footprint has become the international standard. Carbon footprint is expressed as the global warming potential of a certain activity, and it can be measured in terms of kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). This value includes other pollutants, including methane and sulfur oxide, but fails to account for pollutants with little global warming impact (such as heavy metals and radiation). In the future we hope to provide additional measures, such as energy, toxicity, and resource depletion.

Where Do We Get Our Carbon Footprint Information?

Sourcemap is, in part, an attempt to make available all the information we can about carbon footprint so that people can make informed decisions—even without an engineering degree or access to high-end software. We try to get our information from publicly available sources, almost none of which agree with each other. The sources we have used most frequently are the Okala guide (only available in print), the ICE (a download may be requested via e-mail), the ecoinvent database (part of which is freely available online), and a bevvy of other efforts (see the complete list of sources below). We are always looking for more carbon footprint values and ways to make sense of different approaches.

How Do We Know Where Things Come From?

It can be almost impossible to know with certainty where something comes from—that is why we’re building Sourcemap. Until producers care about the sources of materials, consumers will be uninformed. Nevertheless, we can make certain assumptions about the sources of common materials. The British Geological Survey provides a free list of all known mineral- and metal-extracting countries. The US Geological Survey maintains a database of almost every mine in the world.

To find out where a product comes from, we have to dig a little deeper. Few companies explicitly reveal their manufacturing locations or their suppliers’. Madeinnations.com, however, provides the assembly location for many consumer goods. The rest of the information that we’ve made available is based on extensive research.

Life-Cycle Assessment: How We Do It

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a way to measure the environmental impact of a product or a service. It works by summing up the impact of each component part and every phase of life (raw material, manufacturing, shipping, use, and end-of-life). We use a database made from publicly available information and the entries that users like you create to estimate the impact of common materials and processes. The result is expressed in terms of carbon footprint, specifically CO2e or global warming potential.

What Are The Shortcomings Of Our Approach?

There is a long way to go before we can have an informed dialogue about sustainability. Sourcemap tries to accommodate multiple perspectives: whether you are concerned with global warming, resource depletion, the strength of communities, or the preservation of cultures, we try to provide a medium for sharing your sustainable ideas. We are continuously improving Sourcemap so that we can make more accurate calculators and visualizations that are applicable to a variety of common decisions. That also means that Sourcemap is never complete: as more people are exposed to the tools for thinking sustainably, more ideas will surface and we will make every effort to include them on our site. In the meantime, we hope that you’ll make use of our data in your private and professional lives and share your insights with the community.

What are the units of measure? Why are there no units listed in the Carbon Catalogue?

Carbon Footprint is measured in kg of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). Sourcemap uses an Impact Factor irrespective of units of measure. The simple factor is a multiplier of carbon per unit weight of material. If a material has an Impact Factor of 2, each unit of material produces twice that amount of CO2e. Thus, 1 lb of material has a carbon footprint of 2 lb, 1 kg has a footprint of 2 kg, etc…

Where do we get our information? What are our sources?

Sourcemap uses publicly available information from a number of sources for its geographical and environmental calculations. You can find our most frequently cited sources here.

Why should I register for Sourcemap?

Only registered users can create maps, which is a useful way to calculate the carbon footprint of products and services that are unique to you or that haven’t been mapped yet.

How can I volunteer?

Sourcemap is an open-source project that depends on volunteers to develop nearly all of the code and content of the site. If you’re interested in participating, visit our Join Us page.