New mobile app to track carbon footprints
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Irish mobile operators have welcomed the introduction of a new application to allow mobile users to track their own carbon footprint.
The new application, called mobGAS, has been developed by scientists working for the European Commission. The application is available in 21 European languages and allows users to see how their daily choices impact on climate change.
Information about everyday activities is put into mobGAS and the application makes calculations of individual emissions. A user diary of daily, weekly and yearly emissions can be registered on a secure website, allowing users to make a comparison with national and world averages. The application also includes an animation reflecting the user's contribution to the Kyoto Protocol target.
The application has been launched following research by Eurostat which upfound that individuals can have a significant impact on reducing emissions by changing how they travel and use appliances. From Friday, mobGAS is being made available free of charge to anyone who is interested. The Commission said communication networks and mobile phone producers will also be involved in rolling out the technology at national levels.
The new application has generally been welcomed by Irish mobile operators, though there are no firm plans yet to formally support the service.
"We would certainly look at it. The application looks interesting and consumers are more and more environmentally aware. The mobile is an ideal device for tracking your carbon footprint," said Rachel Channing, head of PR and Communications at Three Ireland.
Vodafone also welcomed the launch of the application. "There are a number of packages out there that can be used to help track a user's carbon footprint. [MobGAS] does seem as though it could be sported by our network and we will certainly look into it," said Olivia Dobbs, corporate responsibility manager with Vodafone Ireland.
O2 Ireland told ENN that it has no firm plans in place regarding the application but that it plans to look into it. "We would certainly be open to supporting it if it was something our customers wanted," said a spokeswoman for the operator.
Meteor was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
© 2007 ENN
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COMMENTS
Yawn
What is it with Europe? Lets have the most expensive petrol in the world, tons of green tax's, while the other side of the world enjoy there cheap petrol and big cars and not give a second thought about this still way unproven spin about green issues.
When the climate has been monitored for at least 100 years by modern technology, then we can look at real results.
For now its just used as a tool to raise tax's and try and make people feel guilty, so they wont mind paying more.
And as someone above already said, these that preach green still fly around the world to there big meetings by plane, and no doubt big petrol guzzle cars to each hotel.
I am so bored of all this carbon footprint and green crap....ZzzzzZZzzzzzzz
New Black?
Absolutely John. Bandwagon comes to mind also.
"There are a number of packages out there that can be used to help track a user's carbon footprint. [MobGAS] does seem as though it could be sported by our network and we will certainly look into it," said Olivia Dobbs, corporate responsibility manager with Vodafone Ireland.
What she failed to say was "Providing the revenue stream far exceeds the cost of our investment"
"We would certainly be open to supporting it if it was something our customers wanted," said a spokeswoman for the operator.
What she failed to say was "are willing to pay for, and if we can make lots of money out of it"
Who on earth in our consumer based greed system is going to keep the same car for seven or so years? The same mobile phone for all of it's useful life? And all those other consumer trinkets that have to be upgraded every 6 months?
Common sense and less greed is all that's required to reduce ones carbon foot print. Not a new method of consuming energy.
I should change my nym to sinykul methinks.
Try some ethical shopping if one really wants to reduce the impact of consumerism on the environment. Boiling just one cup of water for the breakfast brew instead of filling the kettle, and then driving to work in a 4X4 doesn't make a great deal of sense.
Ugh..........
I hate the whole idea of carbon footprint. My other half is an environmental scientist and she visibly twitches everytime someone uses it. It's nothing more a PR tool to make people feel like they are actually doing something to save the planet. We are currently telling companies to use it in their PR speel, but to keep an eye out for when joe public realises it's a load of carp. Of course by then we'll be on to something else.
Calculating your "Methane Cowpat", that's the new black.
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