How Bad Are Bananas? audiobook cover - The Carbon Footprint of Everything
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How Bad Are Bananas?

The Carbon Footprint of Everything

Mike Berners-Lee

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Nature & the Environment

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How Bad Are Bananas?
Carbon Footprint Basics+
Technology & Communication+
Paper vs. Plastic+
Transportation+
Food & Diet+
Beverages+
Home & Chores+
Human vs. Natural Emissions+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10
Why is a carbon footprint typically measured in 'carbon dioxide equivalent' (CO₂e)?
  • A. Because carbon dioxide is the only greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
  • B. To convert and combine all major harmful emissions, including more potent gases like methane, into a single accurate metric.
  • C. Because it measures the exact amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by trees in a given year.
  • D. To separate human-made carbon dioxide emissions from naturally occurring ones.
Question 2 of 10
According to the book, why does a two-minute cell phone call leave a significantly larger carbon footprint than a text message?
  • A. Text messages are transmitted using low-orbit satellites instead of cell towers.
  • B. Cell phone microphones consume drastically more battery power than the screen used for texting.
  • C. Phone calls require a large amount of energy at base stations and switchboards to connect two phones to the same network.
  • D. Text messages do not rely on data centers, whereas phone calls must be processed through massive server banks.
Question 3 of 10
From a strict carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) standpoint, why are plastic supermarket bags considered marginally better than paper bags?
  • A. Plastic bags are lighter and therefore require less fossil fuel to transport.
  • B. The manufacturing process for plastic bags uses 100% renewable energy.
  • C. Plastic bags absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere as they slowly degrade.
  • D. Paper bags rot in landfills and create potent methane emissions, whereas plastic does not.
Question 4 of 10
What is the primary reason flying leaves such a massive carbon footprint compared to other forms of transportation?
  • A. Burning fuel at higher altitudes causes the emissions to have a much more harmful impact on the environment.
  • B. Airplanes use a type of unrefined fuel that produces ten times more CO₂ than standard gasoline.
  • C. The manufacturing of commercial airplanes requires vast amounts of rare earth metals.
  • D. Airports require massive amounts of electricity to keep their runways and terminals operational 24/7.
Question 5 of 10
Despite often traveling long distances, why do bananas have a relatively small carbon footprint compared to many other supermarket fruits?
  • A. Banana trees grow very quickly and absorb large amounts of methane from the air.
  • B. They are only grown in developed nations with strict environmental regulations.
  • C. They don't use artificial light to grow, have their own natural packaging, and don't require airfreighting.
  • D. The banana plant produces a natural sap that offsets the carbon emissions of its transportation.
Question 6 of 10
Why do beef and lamb have a significantly larger carbon footprint than pork?
  • A. Pigs require much less water to raise than cows and sheep.
  • B. Cows and sheep are ruminants, meaning they chew cud and release large amounts of methane.
  • C. Beef and lamb must be transported in heavily refrigerated trucks, unlike pork.
  • D. Pigs are typically raised on local farms, whereas cows and sheep are heavily imported.
Question 7 of 10
What common addition to a cup of tea or coffee causes its carbon footprint to increase the most drastically?
  • A. Sugar
  • B. Artificial sweeteners
  • C. Boiling the water twice
  • D. Milk
Question 8 of 10
How do the greenhouse gas emissions from all the world's volcanoes compare to human-made emissions?
  • A. Volcanoes emit roughly 50% of the emissions that humans do.
  • B. Volcanoes emit less than 1 percent of the yearly emissions produced by humans.
  • C. Volcanoes emit about the same amount of greenhouse gases as global human transportation.
  • D. Volcanoes emit significantly more greenhouse gases than humans, but the Earth naturally absorbs them.
Question 9 of 10
Which of the following laundry practices is recommended in the book to significantly reduce your carbon footprint?
  • A. Washing clothes at 60°C and using a high-efficiency dryer.
  • B. Hand-washing all clothes in hot water to save electricity.
  • C. Ironing clothes while they are still damp to reduce drying time.
  • D. Washing clothes at 30°C and using a drying rack instead of a clothes dryer.
Question 10 of 10
What is the '10-tonne lifestyle' proposed by author Mike Berners-Lee?
  • A. A goal to reduce the average British person's carbon footprint from 15 metric tons to 10 metric tons per year.
  • B. A corporate limit capping manufacturing factory emissions to 10 metric tons per day.
  • C. A global average target where every country produces exactly 10 metric tons of CO₂e per capita.
  • D. A diet plan that ensures an individual's lifetime food waste is kept under 10 tons.

How Bad Are Bananas? — Full Chapter Overview

How Bad Are Bananas? Summary & Overview

In How Bad are Bananas? (2010), author Mike Berner-Lee provides readers with an A-to-Z guide of how they can start living a more environmentally conscious life and reduce their own carbon footprint. You may think you’re familiar with climate change and carbon footprints, but do you really know the everyday activities that contribute to the current environmental crisis? From grocery shopping to washing your clothes, you’ll learn how to be more efficient and less wasteful.

Who Should Listen to How Bad Are Bananas??

  • Anyone curious about their own carbon footprint
  • Environmentalists in the fight against global warming
  • Consumers who want to make more informed purchases

About the Author: Mike Berners-Lee

Mike Berners-Lee is a professor at Lancaster University and the founding director of Small World Consulting, a company that specializes in measuring the carbon footprint of services and products worldwide. He is also the author of The Burning Question: We Can't Burn Half the World's Oil, Coal and Gas. So How Do We Quit? (2013) and a frequent contributor to the Guardian.

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