I'm pretty darn proud of my house

whoa how did you get the smiley face?

oh, okay I see

That's a low Kgs!

nice!

Wow, I am very impressed, one of my categories is 6,000 kgs of Co2.

But not the total.

When my professor asked us to calculate our carbon footprint, I was pretty shocked. I could not believe how big my family's carbon footprint is. So, when we were asked to do this assignment the idea of how my family could reduce their carbon footprint really interested me. I found this article that shows a bunch of different cool ways to reduce our footprint. Such as using less paper, growing our own vegetables and even watching what our thermostat is set at!
https://amerisleep.com/blog/reduce-fami … footprint/

That’s very interesting and I agree that it is startling at first seeing the numbers on paper. I think every one in school should have to do a project that includes calculating your carbon footprint it really puts things in perspective and helps you personally relate to the global issue of climate change. For me it really motivated me to find solutions to lower my carbon footprint. There are lots of ways to lower it, some are expensive and some are equally as effective and cost nothing. I would suggest  to start out find what actions in each category (food, transportation, home energy etc, purchases) have the biggest impact and do what you can to change those. This will help you chose your battles and make the biggest dent in your carbon footprint with the least amount of change. For me one was not knowing I could bring reusable containers to get takeout in. Another one was how and how often I wash my clothes. What ever you chose to do even a small change is a step in the right direction for the whole world.

Ocean acidification is no joke. So many different sea animals are going extinct, many of these are keystone species. For example coral reefs are a big concern because they are going through mass extinction, this is because of the carbon getting into the ocean and heating it up. This happens because the carbon is reducing the ph levels and making the ocean more acidic which corals react very poorly to because the water is so warm, the coral will expel the algae that lives in their tissues and the coral will turn white, if the algae doesn’t come back the coral will die. This can happen in 4 weeks if the water goes up by 1 degree celsius, if this keeps happening we will have no coral in the future and coral reefs are a keystone ecosystem for so many species.

I completely agree with this. Ocean acidification needs to be talked about more so that a difference can be made. The longer we wait, the harder it would be to come back from our mistakes. Keystone species are a crucial part to our ecosystems and many more species will die if we keep doing what we are doing. Our planet is warming at such an alarming rate, organisms don't have time to evolve and adapt to these new circumstances. The last time the earth's climate changed this much there was a mass extinction. We need to worry about our carbon emissions now, so that in the future coral still exists.

I agree with what you are saying nora. The oceans have never been this warm and I don’t think they will ever go back down. Even if the feature we reduce the amount of carbon we produce we can’t bring the coral back to life. We have to take action now if we want to save our oceans. I’m fortunate enough to have gone snorkelling before and see how beautiful the coral is. I and assume everyone else wants to be able to go snorkelling with their own kids, and not have to tell them about them like we talk about dinosaurs today.

I agree with everything that u guys are saying. There is absolutely no way we can fight a problem most people don’t even know is happening. Most people hear about oceans being polluted by micro plastics but not how the fundamental chemistry of our oceans are being changed. And un like most climate issues where there are a hole bunch of different causes we know that this is being caused by an increased amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. Which causes the ocean to heat up. People say it’s hard to fight for something you can’t feel or see happening. This is why the worming of the planet is being so strongly fought for but you can see the impacts of worming oceans. When you see the news that says we are in a mass extinction event and you go back to your favourite scuba diving or fishing spot and there are no fish and the coral Reeves are bleached. Or u dip you feet in the ocean and don’t feel that familiar numbing cold. Our every impact is shown all around us and if we are going to solve this problem you can’t look away.

My family produces 116454 kgs of CO2 a year, which is pretty bad. I would like to change that by turning off the lights more often, and to using less lights in our house.

I would like to reduce this number, but I don't know if turning off lights will work. Does anyone have any other ideas?

My biggest thing on my carbon footprint was transportation. You could try biking and/or walking to more places. If this is kind of hard to do, you could try carpooling more or taking more public transportation. Also, I don't know very much about this, but I think turning off the lights when not in use does something. So make sure to still turn off lights and electronics when not in use.

I feel as though we should turn off lights more often in my household. My brother leaves his light on almost all day! I try my best to remember to turn off the lights, but sometimes I don't remember to, so I think I can change that:)

Well, I already bike to school, but yeah, I think I'll start turning off the lights in my house WAAAYY too much. ...

Well how often do you use a heater? If so in the winter you could layer and put on blankets it works has well a heater hope this helps!

Hey! That's a good idea, thanks!

These are all great ways to lower your carbon footprint.I found that food was a big contributor for mine as well as transportation. For food i think it would be great to make sure you use all the food in your home and if some seems to be rotten, there are some great recipes on the internet for food scrap meals and use them as leftovers. Another great way is to buy locally whenever you have the option, although it is hard to find local shops if you live remotely.It is important to conserve water. Reducing shower times and using more cold water will save you money and not effect your carbon footprint as much.

Yeah! I'll try that!

I fly every year or two to see my family in Japan and it adds a lot to my carbon footprint. Even though it might have a big impact, it's extremely hard to skip out on seeing family I rarely ever get to see. My family and I do still try to be green whenever we can for our trip, we choose the eco friendliest routes that have the least stops, and sometimes my mom even brings home some recyclables because there is no recycling system in rural Japan.

Although I do not have a garden or want to own one myself, my grandma does and I spent a lot of time in it when I was little. Some benefits to a garden are for environmental well being, it slows down habitat destruction, but also boosts the harbouring of biodiversity in the area as well. There are also some health benefits, it can relieve stress and lower blood pressure.

I have noticed significantly different trends in global carbon footprint averages. I think that the climate, social norms, economic status, environmental consciousness of the nation in which you live are all important contributing factors. For example, where I live in Vancouver, the average carbon footprint for students at my school is 8,844. This is around average for most of the world, but for some places, for example compared to some schools in California, it is extremely low. I think part of this has do with the fact that are more wealthy than the average person where I live, so they fly much more than average. Also the average purchases are much higher, likely because they have more money to buy things. Also, in much more extreme climates, you use more carbon to heat homes. In dense cities, the carbon footprint for transportation is lower than rural areas, because it less walkable, and longer distances are travelled every day. These are just a few thoughts on why carbon footprints vary so much globally.

Hi tivakc! I agree that your carbon footprint varies for where you live. A big contributor of the difference of our carbon footprints to the places I think is transportation.Where I live transit is a big part of the city and there are so many options to walk ,bus, and sky train.But for example in more rural areas they can only drive to get simple things like groceries or to get school. I think it’s important to factor in what is accessible for others in different cities instead of just judging people for what parts they play in climate change. It would be great if all cities had transit, locally grown food, and a fresh water supply. Does anyone have any ideas of what we can change in our communities to make things more accessible?

Thinking before buying something is really important as, buying things you really don't need just increases your carbon footprint which is unfair for our environment as well. Spending over your budget also can lead yourself into difficult situation. It can also put you in financial issues too so that's why making the decision "is it worth it" or "do I really need it" is a good thing to think about before making a purchase.

I know that everyone likes ice cream, milk, Mac n' Cheese, and just cheese in general--- but have you ever thought about how it affects the climate? Cows--- the source of all our dairy--- release methane, a global-warming inducing chemical, through their digestive system.(As in, when they b*rp or far*...) Personally, I am the only dairy eater in a lactose-intolerant family, but I still feel that we could cut back on the dairy so that farms don't breed cows so much, and so (Hopefully) the amount of methane going into the atmosphere will reduce. (Lactose-free ice cream is good, people!) This is just a thought, but personally, I will try to cut back on the dairy. A pebble in the ocean still creates a ripple! Thanks for hearing me out, and if anyone has any other ideas that don't involve giving up cheese for the sake of the world and reducing methane, I'm all ears!

Yes, I agree with everything you are saying but I also think it is important for people to realize the other impacts of eating dairy or even the animal agriculture busyness in a whole. Yes, cows producing massive amounts of methane is a problem. But we can reduce the amount of methane that cows produce by feeding them what they are originally built to be fed. Grass. The main reason we need to cut back on dairy and meet products is because grazing for animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of deforestation all across the world. Because of the space needed to grow the grain they eat, thousands of acres of forest are being destroyed ever second. And because the amount of water used to water the grain fed too the cows and the amount they drink in a lifetime before they are slaughtered eating one hamburger is equivalent to taking a shower for two months. So yes cutting back on ice cream, cheese, milk and meet can all help there is a bigger problem that not a lot of people have been educated about.

I think that home grown gardens are excellent and have many benefits. When you have your own gardens, it eliminates the need to travel anywhere to get your fruits, herbs and vegetables. and when you grow your own garden, you have control over what you put in your garden. For example, you can avoid fertilizers and pesticides which can increase greenhouse gases. When you have a home-grown garden, it could also reduce the amount of packaging because you don't need to package your garden foods while in supermarkets they are sometimes packaged. Having a home-grown garden also can make the air around you fresher because the plants absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Overall, I think that home grown gardens are a great way to lower your carbon footprint.

I feel like humans want to buy things that are their wants and cause them to impulsively buy an item but that really is just a waste of money and increases your carbon footprint and if you keep impulsively buying things it could lead to overconsumption. Some good ways to be mindful about your purchases are to have a checklist and ask yourself questions to see if you really want it or not.

yes, I think humans are the cause of climate change. Before the industrial revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was low but during the industrial revolution the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose up a lot and the climate started to change and get warmer. Humans did actions such as burning fossil fuels, and deforestation which warmed the earth at a higher rate. Agriculture also creates a big impact on climate change. for every second that passes, about 1 football field of forest is cut down for agriculture. most of the crops are grown for animal feed. Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change. The demand for animal products is high, they have to raise a lot of animals. The animals eat and drink a lot, and they produce a lot of methane which is 80x more harmful than carbon dioxide.