Carbon Offset Quiz: Can You Go Green? Test Your Footprint IQ

Natália G.R. de Mello holds doctorate and masters degress in environmental science and works as a contributor for 8 Billion Trees.Written by Natalia Mello

Quizzes Tests | October 3, 2024

An illustration of a man thinking quizzically about his carbon footprint.

Your carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that various activities (like driving and shopping) release into the atmosphere, but did you know that carbon offsets are able to erase that ‘mark?’

This harmful gas is actually a greenhouse gas (GHG), which contribute to global warming. There are many greenhouse gasses, but the two most harmful and prevalent are carbon dioxide and methane (CH4). In some cases during this quiz, you may see “CO2e” …this is “carbon dioxide equivalent,” a term for describing various greenhouse gases, with a common unit.

How much do you know about offsets and your footprint?

Take this quiz to find out!

Question 1) What is the carbon footprint of one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cheese?

40 CO2e kilograms (88 pounds)
27 CO2e kilograms (60 pounds)
13.5 CO2e kilograms (29.7 pounds)
2.9 CO2e kilograms (6.4 pounds)
  • Each kilogram of cheese emits 13.5 kilograms of CO2e, or nearly 30 pounds!1 Food products actually emit a lot of carbon dioxide. These emissions are associated with farm and factory production and transportation.1

Question 2) Which of the following has the lowest carbon footprint?

Fruit
Lentils
Tofu
Nuts
  •  Each kilo of lentils is associated with 0.9 kilos, or 2 pounds, of CO2e.1 The carbon footprints of fruits, tofu, and nuts are, respectively, 1.1, 2, and 2.3 kilos of CO2e (2.4, 4.4, and 5.1 pounds).1

Question 3) How many kilograms of CO2e does a return flight from Los Angeles to London generate?

650 kilograms (1433 pounds)
970 kilograms (2138 pounds)
1260 kilograms (2778 pounds)
1650 kilograms (3638 pounds)
  • A plane covering 10874 miles (like a round trip between London and Los Angeles) emits as much as 1650 kilograms (3638 pounds) of CO2e.2 Flight emissions can add up fast!

Question 4) If you went carless for a year, how many tons of CO2 would you save?

2.6 tons
3.2 tons
4.8 tons
5.6 tons

Question 5) What industry is responsible for roughly 10% of all human emissions?

Clothing
Aviation
Agriculture
Energy
  • Producing and transporting clothes generates 10% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions.4

Question 6) True or False? Agriculture, Forestry, and Land-Use are responsible for roughly 18.5% of all human greenhouse gases emissions.8 Billion Trees workers working to create compost and take care of tree planting sites in Brazil, with an 8 Billion Trees watermark.

True
False
  • The agriculture, forestry, and land-use sector ranks in second place when it comes to sectors that most contribute to climate change.5 The energy sector is the leader, responsible for 73.2% of all human emissions.5

Question 7) How many tons of methane (CH4) did the world’s waste sector generate in 2016?

Roughly 400 million tons
Roughly 250 million tons
Roughly 3.5 million tons
Roughly 1.4 million tons
  • Bacteria decomposing waste produces CH4. Large quantities of waste emit large quantities of this harmful greenhouse gas – as much as 1.4 million tons.5

Question 8) According to the Paris Climate Agreement, humans should limit the global temperature rise well below:

5 degrees Celsius
4 degrees Celsius
3 degrees Celsius
2 degrees Celsius
  • To avoid catastrophic environmental and social impacts, the Paris Agreement stipulates humans must not allow the global temperature to rise 2 degrees Celsius above temperatures recorded in pre-industrial levels.6 

Question 9) True or False? Contrary to meat, alcohol and confectionary have small carbon footprints.

True
False
  • Both alcohol and sweets emit significant amounts of CO2e in their production and transportation processes.7 

Question 10) Reducing your carbon footprint requires:

Carefully thinking about every step encompassed in your routine
Shifts in diets and consumption habits
Adopting a cleaner lifestyle – both for you and the planet
All of the above
  • Reducing your carbon footprint requires a holistic approach and careful considerations and choices in your day-to-day life. It might sound overwhelming at first, but small steps make a huge difference!

Take Another Quiz:

References

1Green Eatz. (n.d.). Food’s Carbon Footprint. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.greeneatz.com: https://www.greeneatz.com/foods-carbon-footprint.html

2Kommenda, N. (2019, 07 19). How your flight emits as much CO2 as many people do in a year. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.theguardian.com: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/jul/19/carbon-calculator-how-taking-one-flight-emits-as-much-as-many-people-do-in-a-year

3Schlossberg, T. (2017, 06 12). How Much Do You Know About Solving Global Warming? Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.nytimes.com: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/climate/drawdown-climate-solutions-quiz

4The World Bank. (2019, 09 23). How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment? Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.worldbank.org: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente

5Ritchie, H. & Roser, M. (n.d.). Emissions by sector. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from ourworldindata.org: https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-sector

6United Nations Climate Change. (n.d.). The Paris Agreement. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from unfccc.int: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

7Kanemoto, K., Moran, D., Shigetomi, Y., Reynolds, C., & Kondo, Y. (2019). Meat Consumption Does Not Explain Differences in Household Food Carbon Footprints in Japan. One Earth, 1(4), 464–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2019.12.004