Carbon footprint: As a concept, it is becoming increasingly fashionable.

But having a big one is not a good thing. The term refers to the amount each of us contributes to global warming through the carbon dioxide produced to make our individual lifestyles possible.

Basically, the longer your commute to work, the larger your footprint. The fewer miles per gallon your car gets, the larger your footprint.

The higher your utility bills, the larger your footprint.

The more meat you eat, the larger your footprint.

One Web site, www.earthday.net, measures your ecological footprint, meaning how many acres it takes to support your lifestyle compared with the 4.5 productive acres per person in the world.

The site also will tell you how many more planet Earths we would need if everyone lived like you.

These other sites also will help you see how big your footprint is:

¢ www.climatecrisis.net

¢ www.epa.gov

¢ www.safeclimate.net

¢ www.cspinet.org/eatinggreen