Using the iPhone to Track Carbon Footprints

A new application for the iPhone automatically tracks a person's movement throughout the day to calculate and track carbon output.

How much carbon are you responsible for pumping into the atmosphere on a given day? You could rely on broad statistics from any number of environmental groups, you could fail to care altogether, or you could actually get yourself a close estimate with Clear Standards’ new Carbon Tracker app for the iPhone, released on Thursday.

Using the phone’s built-in GPS capability, Carbon Tracker logs your movements throughout the day, automatically generating a list of trips. Assigning a vehicle type to them allows the software to calculate a carbon footprint automatically. You can also set emissions goals for different periods of time to try to monitor, and reduce, your output as you go.

Besides tracking travel automatically and allowing you to set goals, the app will also allow you to view past carbon output by month on a graph, and enter travel that may not have been cataloged by the phone automatically, like flights.

 Carbon Tracker is available immediately as a free download through iTunes.