Will advertising be the undoing of society after all? Maybe not entirely, but it sure isn't helping the earth says a new Australian audit. The audit, conducted by consultant firm TrinityP3, says Australian television commercials generate as much as 57 tonnes of carbon per hour, with thirty-second spots doing the  most damage. The problem is only made worse during popular shows like Biggest Loser (responsible for 2135 kgs per 30-second ad) and So You Think You Can Dance (2061 kg).

According to Darren Woolley, the managing director for TrinityP3, the numbers were calculated by measuring the power consumption of broadcasters and consumers watching the ad on their televisions, and TrinityP3 hopes to use the figures to created a standardized measurement for determining the carbon footprint of advertising.

“We look at the number of households and the number of TVs, and then the proportion of TVs that are plasma, LCD or traditional, and calculate energy consumption based on those factors,” Woolley said.

“Most companies have been obliged to think through their strategies on reducing carbon emissions and they need to remember that their marketing strategies do have an environmental impact that needs to be included. This is not something that is easily able to be measured,” Mr Woolley said.

» news.com.au