Environmental Comparison Units

I don't think climate change is a problem as I reckon the climate has always been changing. Global Warming on the other hand is a convenient reason for many to get their budgets increased.  I think we waste too much money on some of this stuff.  There is no doubt there are problems because we are here. I have an idea about how to compare all things. If we had a simple number that ranked all things according to there environmental degradation then it may be easier to work on a particular issue.  I already know how to improve the world! Eat Less Exercise More! This is a compromise answer. You could get more nasty and suggest removing the fashion industry or the Pet industry or the Alcohol industry but that is not going to happen.  However back to my theory.  If you could add up units of certain commodities across the life of a product, meaning from design, manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal you could get a comparative score.  Recycling would yield a negative number to add in. The score could be the addition of a one for every litre of fuel used, and a one for every kilometre traveled and another one for every year it takes to break it down to dirt. A further one for each kilowatt of energy used etc.  A big job. I already suspect that batteries would be one of the worst consumer contributors.  For example what if you saw two toys, one that was a wind up with an ECU of 1045 and a battery operated one with an ECU of 18,567.  Maybe you wouldn't bother making the second one in the first place.

Windup fun