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Emre

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I Built a Python Library That Measures Your Code's Carbon Footprint

#python #opensource #sustainability #programming

The Problem

My machine learning scripts run for hours. One day I got curious — how much CO₂ am I actually emitting while training models?

I searched for a simple Python library to measure this. Nothing fit. So I built one.

Introducing EcoTrace

EcoTrace is a lightweight Python library that measures the carbon footprint of your functions using real-time CPU and GPU utilization sampling.

pip install ecotrace
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How It Works 

from ecotrace import EcoTrace

eco = EcoTrace(region_code="US")

@eco.track
def train_model():
    return sum(i * i for i in range(10**6))

train_model()
# [EcoTrace] Function : train_model
# [EcoTrace] Duration : 0.0452 sec
# [EcoTrace] CO2      : 0.00001823 gCO2
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The carbon formula is simple:

energy (Wh) = TDP × cpu_usage% × duration / 3600
CO2 (gCO2)  = (energy / 1000) × carbon_intensity
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What Makes It Different

Most tools assume 100% CPU/GPU utilization (full TDP) for the entire duration. EcoTrace uses continuous sampling every 50ms to measure actual utilization — giving you accurate results even for bursty workloads.

Features

  • ✅ Real-time CPU & GPU utilization sampling
  • ✅ 1,800+ CPUs in the database for accurate TDP detection
  • ✅ 36 regions supported with real carbon intensity data
  • ✅ Async function support out of the box
  • ✅ PDF reports with CPU usage charts
  • ✅ Side-by-side comparison of two implementations

GPU Tracking 

@eco.track_gpu
def gpu_compute():
    # GPU-intensive work
    pass

# [EcoTrace] GPU Usage : 74.3%
# [EcoTrace] CO2       : 0.00012841 gCO2
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Compare Two Implementations 

def fast_version():
    return sum(i for i in range(10**5))

def slow_version():
    return sum(i for i in range(10**6))

result = eco.compare(fast_version, slow_version)
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Why This Matters

Software is responsible for roughly 2-3% of global CO₂ emissions — similar to the aviation industry. As developers, we rarely think about the environmental cost of our code. EcoTrace makes that cost visible.

Getting Started 

pip install ecotrace
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GitHub: https://github.com/Zwony/ecotrace

3,000+ downloads in the first week. Would love your feedback! 🌱

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