JRC scientists present emissions-tracking mobile phone
Scientists working at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) have developed a mobile phone application that enables users to monitor how their daily choices impact upon climate change. The user enters information on everyday activities, such as cooking, transport, lighting and use of electronic appliances, and calculations are then made on individual emissions. Individuals can have more of an impact on emission levels that one may think. Recent Eurostat figures showed that 21% of emissions can be traced back to industrial and associated processes, while 31% come from energy production, 20% from transport, 9% from agriculture and 3% from waste. The remainder comes from other sources. The application focuses on three major greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. This shows that lifestyle and consumer choices on travel, appliances and food are important in the fight against climate change. The user can also register their daily, weekly and yearly emissions on a secure website, allowing comparisons with national and world averages. Environment-conscious users can also take a look at their contribution to the Kyoto Protocol target. The mobGAS application is available in 21 European languages, and is available free of charge. Communication networks and mobile phone producers will be involved in rolling out the technology at national level. The technology will be presented by JRC scientists during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali.