Comparing Carbon Footprints of Baskin Robbins and Ben and Jerry 's

Introduction

Mmmm...there's nothing better than going to an ice cream parlor and settling down with a delicious dessert in hand. But have you ever imagined how much energy it took to make and transport that little scoop ice cream? Well, you've probably heard of Global Warming--it's everywhere. But just the thought of ice cream having an impact on the environment is pretty outrageous.

The information below will reveal the carbon footprint of two different ice cream companies--Baskin Robbins versus Ben and Jerry's. There will be an explantion of how those numbers were found and a clear graph of the carbon difference between the two businesses. There will also be some suggestions that the ice cream companies could use to help offset the amount of carbon that they emit into the atmosphere.

Definition of Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is realeased into the atmosphere because a person, organization, or location at a specific time because of the use of fossil fuels or other energy sources.

Important Details

In this case, we are calculating the carbon footprint based on our local Baskin Robbins and Ben and Jerry's store in Davis, California. Then, to estimate the company's annual carbon footprint, we will multiply the carbon footprint we calculated by the number of stores they have in the US.

These calculations do not include the carbon footprint of the ice cream--only the carbon footprint of the stores themselves.

Both Carbon Footprint Equations

The variables we used to calculate the carbon foorpint include the energy consumption from their lighting, refridgeration, and the fossil fuels used to transport the materials the store u...

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...s though Baskin Robbins and Ben and Jerry's don't put forth any effort to "go green", they do. Baskin Robbins has a recycling system that is being used everyday. Ben and Jerry's also recycles and uses biodegradable utensils.

Solutions

In order to lower their carbon emmissions, Baskin Robbins can also use biodegradable utensils. Hopefully, they will also use a compost pile in the near future and will continue to recycle. Also, they can consider investing in pricy, yet conservative, light bulbs that will last quite a while.

As for transporting their materials, technology will probably advance in the near future and then they can find a better alternative than diesel fuel, like biodiesel.

Hopefully, they will consider investing in solar panels or using wind power. That would reduce the carbon emmissions and would be much better for our Earth.