(CNN) From using less plastic to eating less meat , it seems like almost all anyone is talking about these days are ways to reduce our carbon footprints.

But what is a carbon footprint , exactly? And how is it related to the climate crisis ? Here are some answers.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is basically the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that anything -- a person, organization, event or product -- has produced . Greenhouse gases are the gases in the atmosphere that produce the "greenhouse effect" and contribute to global warming and climate change.

So your carbon footprint a way to measure the environmental impact your lifestyle has. For example, if you drive to work every day your carbon footprint might be bigger than someone who relies on public transport because you're emitting more greenhouse gas.

How is it calculated?

It works by summing up the emissions from all your activities -- everything from what you eat to what setting you wash your clothes with.

It's all measured in CO2e , which stands for carbon dioxide equivalent and is a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints. It essentially takes any quantity or type of greenhouse gas and expresses it in the amount of CO2 that would have the equivalent global warming impact. It just allows us to easily compare impacts across different gases.

How do you know what your carbon footprint is?

There are a number of online calculators that can help you figure out your carbon footprint, including one by The Nature Conservancy and another from the US Environmental Protection Agency

Once you know your carbon footprint, and what part of your lifestyle contributes the most to it, you can then find ways to lessen your impact.