Understanding CO₂ Claims in Council Reports
Why Tonnes Sound Bigger Than They Are—and What to Do About It
Municipal reports increasingly frame environmental programs in terms of “tonnes of CO₂ reduced per year.” On the surface, this sounds scientific and impressive. But when councils are asked to spend millions on initiatives that reduce, say, 400 tonnes annually, the public deserves context.
Here’s what 400 tonnes of CO₂ actually represents:
0.000069% of Canada’s annual emissions
0.0000011% of global human emissions
0.000000019% of total CO₂ in Earth’s atmosphere
In other words: a drop in a vast atmospheric ocean.
🌳 But It Still Sounds Big. Why?
“Tonnes” feel physical and serious—like a mountain of coal. But CO₂ is a gas, not a solid. It’s measured by weight because that’s how emissions accounting works—but it’s a bit of a mind trick. A tonne of CO₂ is invisible, weightless to the touch, and nearly impossible to grasp without context.
🔧 That’s Why We Built the CO₂ Context Calculator
We created a tool that anyone—councillors, citizens, or staff—can use to translate these numbers into relatable terms. Just plug in the “tonnes” and optional cost, and you’ll see:
What % of Canada’s, global, and atmospheric CO₂ it actually represents
What that’s equal to in terms of cars, cement, cement, coal plants, and more
How many mature trees you’d need to protect to absorb the same amount
Try it here 👉 kiclei.ca/co2-calculator
🧭 Use This to Ask Better Questions
The calculator doesn’t tell you what to think—it helps you ask the right questions:
Is this cost justified given the actual reduction?
How does this compare to industrial emitters?
Are local funds being used in proportion to local impact?
Whether you're an engaged resident or an elected official, this tool is about reclaiming scale and consent in local decision-making.
Let’s keep things in perspective.
Idiotic claims that CO2 is an issue boggles the mind. It is air pollution that is at issue. Its those minute toxic chemicals and particles emitted from industrial waste (tail pipes) of land, air, and sea vehicles, and the intentional use of chemicals on our food crops and forests. Just think of the military industrial complex as it lays waste to life and the environment. Don't kid yourselves. Would you let your next door neighbour lay waste to his land next to yours? Not likely! This assault on life is intentional. Its evil. When the air is poisonous, creatures and plant life cannot breathe properly. They take shorter breathes, eventually dehydrate, and die. The chemicals used to intentionally block the sun cause a rapid cool down effect. Folks, the people that do this, do it intentionally, and they know what they are doing, and why they are doing it. They are looking at the end result. We live under a dome. As gas chamber if you will. The Nazi's used them during WWII. We the People must take action to identify them and stop them in their tracks. We must do this. No debate. No second guessing.
What a fantastic tool to use! It will help us make more sense of numbers that we don't understand. Thank you for providing this wise context to what we hear.