AI is becoming bigger and bigger as the industry and years progress onward. Artificial Intelligence uses gargantuan amounts of water and resources, and is becoming a tool that seemingly all companies want to use. I felt it necessary to talk about and at least put into the minds of some people since it is now becoming commonplace in today's society.

That is true right now, but as the technology advances, the necessary resources will decrease significantly.

Across the world, food is wasted by restaurants, fast food places, grocery stores, and markets that make or stock more than they can sell. This is incredibly harmful because all of this waste could provide suffering families with the meals that they do not have access to. I think food needs to be made more available to the public by lowering costs of quality, healthy ingredients so that people who are impoverished can still feed their families nutritious meals.

Many people feel pressured to purchase new technology whenever a new version is released because they feel social pressure to always have the nicest phone or the newest airpods. This creates lots of unnecessary electronic waste and could be avoided if people use their devices until they absolutely need new ones.

I feel like people who are not directly affected by severe weather events do not fully grasp how much of an effect climate change has on natural disasters. Seasonal hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes have become so normalized that unless they are destroying your city, most people will ignore the media coverage because they do not want to accept it as a result of climate change.

If I were the head of my household I would lower my carbon footprint by opting for LED light bulbs because they are more energy efficient than incandescent. I would also compost organic food waste to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and to return nutrients to the soil around my home so that I could potentially grow my own fruits and vegetables. I would also opt for energy efficient appliances to avoid burning fossil fuels.

Corporate companies produce immense amounts of pollution that infects our air, water, and land based habitats. Factories are poisoning the air with harmful gases and chemicals, and wasting many valuable natural resources. Corporate CEOs need to be held responsible for the corners they cut in order to make larger profits. Customers also need to shop responsibly and avoid companies that do not take any measures to protect the environment, their employees, or the local community.

I'm aware that there have been restrictions placed upon corporations regarding their effect on the environment, but to what extent do these restrictions address the issue? As it stands, corporations still make up a large portion of climate change and can operate without much care for the environment. I feel that corporations need more limitations placed upon them so that they will have to take responsibility for their actions. Any thoughts?

A student's carbon footprint is mostly comprised of actions caused by bad habits. These habits appear in daily life, and the most common are leaving the lights on, taking long showers, sitting in their car with the engine idling, leaving their devices turned on, and not recycling properly. All of these habits are commonplace in many students' daily lives and go unchecked unless someone close to them knows just how bad these habits are. We as a society should be warning these students about how harmful these things are on a larger scale.

Now is the time to fight against climate change! We as a people need to crack down on the increasing emissions released by companies. As humans, we stray away from restricting businesses and organizations too much because it could affect the economy or progression of technology, but there will be no future if it is not done. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I 100% believe that if nothing is done, the world will become almost uninhabitable within the coming centuries(think of your kids or grandkids). Now then, everyone has a part and contributes a certain amount to climate change, but the majority is caused by organizations or businesses, and it needs to be cracked down on. The time is NOW!

My big idea is to turn school hallways and cafeteria walls into vertical farms. Most of the food we eat in the cafeteria is trucked in from hundreds of miles away, which creates a massive carbon footprint just for one lunch.

If we grew our own vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs right on the school walls, the "food miles" would basically be zero. These gardens use 95% less water than regular farming and don't need pesticides. Plus, having thousands of plants inside the building would act like a massive "carbon sponge," cleaning the air we breathe while we’re in class. It’s a way to make the school self-sufficient and cut down on waste at the same time.

Climate change is definitely real, and so much data proves it.  It's true the Earth’s climate has always changed naturally over millions of years, but the real issue is how fast we’re making it happen now. By burning fossil fuels and clearing out forests, we’re pumping harmful gasses like co2 and methane into the air at a rate the planet can't handle. We're also trashing the oceans and destroying habitats that are supposed to help clean the air. So, even though climate change happens on its own, human intervention is basically putting that natural process on fast-forward and making it way more destructive.

I absolutely agree with you, Paul Cherney! The Earth's climate is definitely being rapidly changed and warmed by humans. Most of this change is contributed to by massive corporations and businesses, but it's important to remember that we all have a part in this world. This is why I responded to your message in particular, because I appreciate how you consistently used the word "We're", which makes it clear that the problem of climate change is caused by us and therefore needs to be fixed by us.

Youre wlecome JAMESEPIC24

We need to implement Solar wrap technology—ultra-thin, flexible solar film that can be wrapped around skyscrapers, paved into sidewalks, and even built into the windows of our school. This would turn every city into a self-sustaining battery. Imagine if your school building produced enough energy not just for its own lights, but to power the neighborhood around it. We wouldn’t need massive, polluting power plants miles away.

I have been wondering how much energy it truly saves growing your food at home? Being able to grow it at home and also recycle using your old food to develop new food surely has to save energy, right? Is it truly worth the extra effort?

My question is, how much more money would it cost for companies to switch to more eco-friendly packaging? Given the amount of waste and excess packaging these companies use, it would likely be more cost-effective to use biodegradable packaging that requires less, so why don't they?

Most days, I leave my fan running in my room. This is a habit I got used to because my room is super small, so it is always hot. I recently discovered how much energy I am wasting and that I need to make some changes to my energy-wasting habits. How much have my few years of leaving my fan running affected my personal carbon footprint and the area around me?

Climate change is very much real, but this topic does get me wondering. How much of climate change is truly caused by humans? What specific things cause the most climate change?

How much do my long showers affect the environment and my footprint?

It's hard for me to gauge what aspects I am responsible for. Sure, there's the lights in my personal spaces, the plumbing I use, the things I buy, but that hardly scrapes the surface of my family's overall carbon footprint. Is there anything else I can be more involved in?

I find it odd how hurricanes, droughts, and forest fires can devastate states every year, but it's just brushed off as an annual travesty. What compels people to keep returning to places that are becoming uninhabitable? Is anyone working towards preventative measures, and how?

My family used to have a tomato plant many years ago, but we probably only had two years of it producing tomatoes before it died. I also had a personal cucumber plant, but it didn't reach maturation due to accidentally overhydrating it with a humidifier. My mother claims to have a black thumb when it comes to gardening, but I believe I'll have better luck if I try caring for a cucumber plant again. Does anyone have any advice?

It's easy to lose sight of wants and needs when in a third place like the mall, especially when you have your own source of money for the first time. To try and minimize unnecessary spending, I usually try to window-shop, set a budget, and carefully consider whether or not I'll use the things I want. At the end of the day, virtually nothing at the mall is needed, but splurging on yourself every once in a while can be beneficial mentally.

Flying is the biggest way I add to my carbon footprint. Planes use a lot of fuel and release pollution into the air. To cut down on this, I can fly less and take trains or buses for shorter trips. If I do fly, picking direct flights helps because takeoff and landing create the most pollution. Some airlines are working on fuel-efficient planes, and I can also use carbon offset programs to support eco-friendly projects. A big question is how the aviation industry can make flying greener.

Just like you, my carbon footprint suffered massively from the number of flights I take. My dad is a pilot and my mom used to be a flight attendant, so I practically grew up in the air. Direct flights are definitely the best way to reduce carbon emissions without actually traveling less. Even so, I think we should push airlines to find more environmentally-friendly business practices and increase fuel efficiency.

I'm sure that some people in some time in their life have heard about food shortages, but do you really know what it means or how bad it really is? Over 295 million people spread over 53 countries that have suffered from food insecurity. That's 5% increase of people losing food from the previous year, according to 2025 Global Report On Food Crisis. People throughout the world should care because this can effect a persons health by chronic diseases, such as diabetes and/or heart problems, also could effect a child's growth, mental health and much more. I believe this topic is important because this affects many people and can be a problem we can all pitch in to help solve and help the people around us all around the world.

The drastic increase in food insecurity over the past year signals an issue with the way we live in the modern day. The statistics are concerning, and people are suffering both physically and mentally because they can't get enough nutrition to fuel their bodies. All people deserve to be healthy and fed, even if they live in a food desert or can't afford ample fuel. I agree that this topic is important and should be addressed so we can develop better practices worldwide to help this terrible situation. Whether its spreading the message or encouraging global governments to aid in the crisis, we can all do something to curb food insecurity.

Out of all my friends, I am the only one who has both a driver's license and a car. Naturally, I offer rides to them to/from school and work, and I never thought much about it until recently, when I realized I was unknowingly cutting down on carbon emissions. If I start or end a work shift at the same time as someone else, it only makes sense for us to take one car instead of two.

What ways can the everyday person avoid food waste? Not everyone has a compost bin so where do they put all the old food? Maybe there should be a separate bin for food waste that certain trash collectors can get for compost on farms?

How can schools properly provide more information and resources about climate change? Students should be properly informed about how their actions affect the environment.

There was once a time when climate change was merely speculative, a faraway threat nobody needed to address at the time. We didn't think humans would ever see the consequences of reaching greater and greater populations, using more energy and producing more waste and carbon emissions than the Earth can handle. Now, climate change is real, and its a greater threat than ever because we ignored it for so long. Year after year, temperatures have increased drastically as rainforests have been cut down and fossil fuels have been burned. This can only go on for so long; the human population tends to increase exponentially, and the Earth will eventually reach its limit.
Between corporate waste, excessive energy usage, and an unwillingness to look toward the future, we've killed off coral reefs in the ocean and obliterated entire species. This wouldn't have happened without us. We must acknowledge the glaring threat of global warming and work to coexist with ecosystems instead of destroying them. Things won't change unless we all take action together. We can't just pin the responsibility on others when we all inadvertently play a part in this dilemma. Between reducing energy usage, recycling and reusing, and spreading the message about our dying Earth, we can all make a difference together and heal the Earth.

In my opinion, if you live close to your school, you do not need to drive. You can cut down your carbon footprint by just walking or biking. Even just taking the bus is better because it keeps more individual cars off the road.

There should be a lot more encouragement to grow your own food in a garden. There should be more encouragement and available resources to let people grow their food without taking a large monetary risk.

In our modern world, people are inclined to buy things they don't need without thinking. Websites like Amazon make it so easy for people to purchase things at the click of a button without thinking: "Do I really need that?" Additionally, social media trends allow people to promote buying things people want in excess, contributing to waste and environmental decline globally.
Fast fashion is one example of a trendy industry, guided by the whims of people with the most influence. A particular style will be "in" for a week or two and then cast aside and forgotten. As a result, fast fashion companies like Temu and Shein can make low-quality products that fall apart quickly without consequence. Fashion trends are already over by the time the cheap polyester(plastic) clothing falls apart; people move on to the next almost immediately and throw everything else away. The sheer amount of low-quality clothing being wasted is obscene, more than we can feasibly make use of. All around the world, these cheap products go into landfills, slowly stripping the Earth of its health and nature.
This obscene modern trend must be stopped; we need to put more thought into our purchases and consider the future consequences of our actions.

I think fast fashion is one of the things that seems like a need because everyone wants to keep up with trends, but it's actually a big want that causes a lot of problems. It's tempting because you can get a whole outfit for like $20, but the quality is usually so bad that it ends up in the trash after a month. In my opinion, it's much better to save up for at least a quality piece of clothing that you like instead of buying five cheap things just because they're on sale. Plus, the environmental impact is huge, fast fashion creates so much waste. If more people just shopped at thrift stores or wore their clothes longer, it would save money and the planet.

How can children encourage their parents to change their way of living? Parents hold a lot of authority and it could be hard to break them out of their habits.

Corporations play a concerningly large role in the environmental decline of the modern day. Appliances in previous decades used to be built to last a lifetime, and now they must be replaced every few years. By forcing people to buy low-quality products again and again, corporations contribute to an obscene amount of waste. At the end of the day, all that matters to these big businesses is profit margins, not the increasing frequency of landfills all across the world. Between non-biodegradable plastic products, fast fashion, and water/energy waste during production, corporations are destroying the planet and then pinning the blame on consumers. They pretend to care about the environment, lying about green policies and imploring people to recycle instead of removing harmful business practices. We could do so much to resolve this, whether by imposing legal responsibilities onto these corporations or implementing clean and renewable energy, but doing so requires foresight people don't want to have. Looking toward our future reveals an unpleasant picture of a desolate Earth, and we are more willing to turn a blind eye to this and hope it'll never affect them. Unfortunately, the way things are going, it most certainly will over the course of our lifetimes.

How can students encourage people around them to take action to have a smaller carbon footprint? It is very difficult for students to get the attention of their peers and help change their minds. It is also almost impossible for students to be heard by adults so how can they be heard?

Something I am very willing to change would be my shower time. Taking long showers increases our co2 emission because of the gas water heating system in houses. For some people this can be an easy thing to change, but for others it can also be hard. Many people use showers as their time of relaxation and alone time (like me). After a long day all I want to do is stay in a warm shower and relax, but taking a shorter shower will minimize my relaxation time. This would be a challenge I would encounter. Some support that would make my life easier could be to ask for more time alone away from my siblings from my parents.

I completely agree! After a long day, I find enjoyment in my showers because they are the one time I can truly relax without any distractions. However, I know how big of an impact long showers have on the environment, and now that I’m aware, I am going to start cutting my time short. Shorter showers use less hot water, which means my water heater burns less energy and produces less CO2, helping reduce my personal carbon footprint. I’ve realized that I can still enjoy my relaxation time without harming the planet, like listening to calming music, or use scented soaps and lotions to make my shower feel luxurious even if it’s shorter. By being mindful and intentional about my shower routine, I can feel refreshed, unwind after a busy day, and still do my part to protect the environment.

I completely agree with you! Long showers can feel incredibly relaxing after a busy day, but being mindful of our water and energy use really does make a difference. Shorter showers help reduce hot water consumption, lower CO2 emissions, and support a more sustainable lifestyle. I’ve also learned that making small eco-friendly choices at home benefits everyone — just like choosing energy-efficient solutions such as getting an EPC Certificate London Same Day when needed. It’s all about balance. You can still enjoy calming music, scented soaps, and a peaceful routine while also protecting the environment through simple, intentional habits.

Climate Change is a consequence of the rapid industrialisation of the world and human neglect/unawareness of pollution. The industrial revolution, while an important event in modern history, also kickstarted industrial pollution and as a consequence caused climate change. Are there any real ways to prevent it, or does the current political landscape not allow any such preventive actions to be put in effect due to the favoritism showed to corporations, industrialists and how they see these preventive actions as 'non-beneficial'?

this makes a lot of sense and i understand what you mean by "are there any real ways to prevent it..." i do think there are at least a couple but they might not be possible at this point in climate change.

"STOP" and "NOW", absolutely not, "lower drastically" and "over the next decade or so", very possible.
if all of humanity managed to agree to some policies and promises then we could likely meet the goal of less than 2°C by 2030 (maybe 2040)
1st we need to stop all burning of coal NOW,
coal is by far the worst, dirtiest, and least efficient fossil fuel, its a technology that belongs in the industrial revolution.

2nd we need better public infrastructure,
while one train (even electric) produces more co2 by itself than a car, if a hundred people are in that train then that train produces much less greenhouse gases per person than a car, so the answer is more electric trains, subway systems, electric ferries to islands, and electric busses where applicable, its also not just enough to have these things we need to

2.5lf encourage people to use public infrastructure and discouraging use of cars
cars are convenient sure but they pollute a lot, if we could make parking harder to find, more walking streets, one ways, reduce the number of lanes on highways, trains that run on time, and better accommodations, for example on one of these points, LA opened a new lane on one of their highways a few (dozen) years ago, and congestion got worse over the entire city, because people found it more convenient driving they would drive more and thus more cars on the roads, and that has lead to a joke in civil engineering "just one more lane and that will solve it"

3rd the world needs to transition away from coal, oils (petrol, diesel, crude oil), biofuels, and natural gas,
some fuels are less bad than others, for example crude oil and coal are much less preferable over the RELATIVELTY clean natural gas and biofuels, still not ideal fuel sources but just better if for example cargo ships run on biofuel over crude oil.
so we need to adapt industry away from that, foundries need to use preferably something like hydrogen gas or induction heating ovens,
ships need to use more efficient fuels or even hybrid ships (electric ferries for shorter trips are amazing (trust me, I'm on one right now))

4th we need cleaner powerplants to run this new industry. lets say we get every company and industry on the planet to somehow go fully electric, we still need the source of that electricity to be clean or we are just moving the problem from the production to the source. solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, are obviously the goal and the best for this, but we need a ton of electricity it in a very short time, so might I suggest nuclear energy,
nuclear energy is much safer than people imagine (I mean global warming kills more people per year than nuclear energy ever has,) fossil fuels also contaminate more than nuclear and produce waste that goes into the air and is harder to manage than barely radioactive rocks that you can reuse 97% of and then throw the waste into a hole. because nuclear energy is so scrutinized that means that like airplanes its one of the safest forms of doing what they do, any time anything goes wrong everyone is talking about it so they have to hire the smartest people they can to make sure everything is safe.
another benefit of nuclear energy is that the only waste is a rock you burry a few kilometres underground to safely decay, and some water vapour that condenses back into safe water.

Buying food from other places around the world has a huge affect on our global co2 emissions. It takes a lot of energy to transport said food by boat, truck, plane as well as keeping the food refrigerated, thus creating a lot of carbon. Gardening is a really fun but also contributes way less to your carbon footprint. here are a few benefits; Plants create oxygen, creating more space for biodiversity in your neighbourhood, reduces CO2 emissions from shipping, because now you have grown it yourself instead of buying it from somewhere else, you will not be intaking pesticides from your produce, its good for your mental and physical health, and you will get the satisfaction of growing something yourself. Not everyone has the space or time to garden but it is always good to buy local. By stopping at your local farmers market, not only are you reducing your shipping emissions but also supporting your community and local farmers. Also when shopping at grocery stores you can check to see where the food was grown/made and if it's organic. It makes an impact what you buy. That be said no one can be expected to make and grow everything they eat by hand or to eat entirely locally, and many people rely on transported food to survive. But it's always a good thing to think about when buying food.

Hi, there are still some people who can't grow all their food at home because of the weather, for example. It's not possible to grow a lot of food where I live due to the weather, so it's okay to buy food from other countries. But I also agree with you that we should try to grow as much food as we can ourselves.

I think we might be in the same school Guðrún.
You can absolutely grow potatoes, carrots, beets, probably onions, during summer break, you could grow tomatoes and even grapes year round with a grow lamp, if you have a potato storage room you could even set up a mushroom growing place (please wear a respirator or some kind of a mask) and you could potentially also you could keep 2-4 chickens by making a small chicken coop and you can feed them scraps, leftovers and/or seeds and you can get up tp 4-5 eggs per week per chicken, (this is all assuming you live in a house with your own garden and not an apartment) but if you live in an apartment you can join or get some other people to pitch in to create some kind of a community garden focused on growing homemade food and maybe keeping small livestock (this could cost a bit of money though so i understand if this is not realistic). this is all obviously a ton of work and its much easier to buy local food and vegetables, its very fun if you have the time.

In my opinion having the latest technology could be a want but it could also be a need, it depends by the use that a person gets out of it.
if you buy the latest without any reason, just because you want it, it's a "want"; if you buy it because you use it for a reasonable cause, like work or also school, it can be called a "need".
I only buy a new phone if my latest one doesn't work anymore because until it stops working i don't need a new one.
i reckon i'm not addicted to my phone but if someone is, i think they should try doing something else like doing some sports or maybe reading a book.

yes i am so with you on this

I usually buy a new phone only when the old one is almost totally broken and i usually don't buy a new model but an old model or a refurbished phone.
When i have an old or broken phone i don't put it in the waste because there are some components of it that can be reused one more time before becoming rubbish so i ususally bring it in specifics centers that recycle them.
I'm not addicted by my phone but, if i were, i could break it leaving my phone in another room when i'm doing somethink, like studying.

I think that always having the latest technology is clearly a wants because no one needs a new technology dispositive every year.
I usually get a new phone every two/three years because I use mine until it breaks down and I find usless the amount of money  that requires news models and I don't actually need that.
Besides, all technology dispositives produce a lot of e-waste and consume a lot of energy.
I don't think I'm addicted but sometimes is better read, walk or even sleep intead of spending so much time on phones and videogames that doesn't give you the right education!

For me, having the last phone is clearly a want. We don't need a new model every year just because it's trendy. I personally don't change my phone really often, but I replace it when it doesn't work anymore. Another theme to consider is the environmental impact too. Most of our phones release a lot of carbon dioxide being produced, so people should think before buying anything that could damage our planet. I'm not addicted to my phone because I try to spend always less time on it. I prioritize staying with the people I love or go out to do some healthy activities instead of rotting in bed all day.

climate change has always been a problem but It is not caused purely by humans but they help it increase. all things that produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses can increase the effect of climate change. like: cows, chickens, and all other mammals. they exhale carbon dioxide as a byproduct of cellular respiration. so climate change is not purely human-caused but mostly human-caused.some ways to reduce it would be to:
1) reduce home energy use-Switch to energy-efficient appliances and LED light bulbs.
2) Rethink your transportation-Walk, bike, or use public transportation instead of driving.
3) Change your diet-Eat less meat, especially red meat, and more plant-based foods, as livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gases.
4) Consume less and reduce waste-Buy less overall and avoid impulse purchases.
5) Support renewable energy Switch to a renewable energy provider for your home if possible.

Fossil fuels are the main cause of rising temperature and climate change. Burning them for energy releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Since we use fossil fuels for many different purposes, like industrial processing, energy production, and transportation, we can't immediately stop using fossil fuels. But if people will slowly change, at first, energy production, then use this energy for industrial processing, and change all cars, and other transport to electric ones. Then this will help our planet a lot.

I think that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. However, I think this problem would be better handled regionally, not globally. I live in an area that produces almost three times as much carbon per year than average. I think that we would need to bring the carbon emissions average down by drastic changes in smaller regions. This is because it is very hard to accurately judge progress on a global scale. This could lead to inaccurate data.

I agree, Makar! Turning over to renewable resources from fossil fuels will definitely mitigate climate change and balance the carbon cycle again. However, achieving this is extremely challenging - society and our global economy is heavily reliant on fossil fuels to power transportation, industrial production, and energy generation. To cease use of fossil fuels would facilitate economic collapse worldwide; corporations and stakeholders with financial interest in fossil fuels will actively deny and refuse the transition to renewable energy, sowing doubt among the people. Our daily lives are deeply intertwined with fossil fuel consumption, with many people unwilling to give up this resource. A very slow change initially will definitely be the best approach, and hopefully the accumulative effort will lead the planet to a better future.

In my opinion, we should not stop using fossil fuels completely. We should definitely use them less, but I don’t think it would be possible to stop using them completely .

Have you ever thought of buying something and then taking a second to recognize if it's a need or a want? About 40% of clothing that is unwanted and sometimes unused gets thrown away and 38% of Americans have unused Items in their house and usually end up throwing them away. There is a big difference between a want and a need. The denotation of the word want is, too "Have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for." For example, I want food (I can do without it for now.) I want a new car. (A new car would be nice to have, but I can live without it.) The denotation for need is, "require (something) because it is essential or very important." Ex. I need food. (I desperately require food. Food is a necessity to me right now.) I need a new car. (A new car is essential to me. I cannot live without it.)

I agree. Instead of buying what you want AND what you need, you should stick to buying only your needs. For example, new clothes. Unless your clothes are in very bad condition and you are in need of new ones, you shouldn’t buy new clothes. However, you should also treat yourself to a want every once in a while. All in all, you should be able to tell the difference between a want and need, and to control yourself from buying all the wants along with the needs.

We should make food free and give people only the amount they need. This will stop people from eating to much food and making less carbon, it will stop world hunger. About 30%-40% of food is wasted in USA which is estimated to be around 170 million metric tons of carbon this is why people should only get the right amount of and it should be shared.

I don't think food should necessarily be free because the people making the food have to somehow earn money, but if the food is free then they have no source of income. without a source of income their farm or wherever they grow their food they won't be able to pay taxes for it. the people working at restaurants and stores that sell mostly food, they will have to find another source of income. but I think at the end of a day or something like that restaurants should give their leftovers away instead of throwing it out.

I don't think that all food should be free because then farmers can't make money to support themselves and their families. I think that if we limit the amount of food each household can buy based on how many people live there or have a carbon tax, it would decease the food wasting. I like eliggg's idea of giving away leftovers from restaurants instead of throwing them out, and I think stores should also give away products that are about to go bad, so people in need have something to eat. Even if stores only have discounts for unwanted food, it will at least help somebody who is in need.

I also do not think all food should be free because farmers who harvest and sell food would not really have a purpose if all food were to be free, not only that, but peoples carbon footprint would rise a lot higher, and people would also take a lot more food for their family then necessary. and that would again probably leave an impact on peoples carbon footprints.

With all due respect, I personally do not agree. I don’t think food should be free. Some people may lie and take advantage of that. Also, many people work very hard to plant and prepare food, so making it free would be very unfair. Overall, I don’t think food should be free.

Fuels are burned to make energy. They release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which hurts the planets environment by increasing the temperature. We need to stop burning fossil fuels and switch to a different energy source like solar power.

I totally agree with you. Fossil fuels and sedimentary rocks were not made to be burnt and used the way us humans are using them. Nature has a way of dealing with things and that is how it use to deal with carbon dioxide. The rocks absorb and store carbon dioxide. This process took millions of years of work and humans have been burning these fossils for daily use (as an energy source), destroying so much irreversible work. I also agree that we should switch to a different energy source like solar energy or windmill energy, however the way these things are priced is unrealistic. Solar panels have a high price rate as well as a high maintenance consumption. This causes some annoyance for some people and for others it may cause financial instability. Even though some have both the patience and money, they may not have the time to clean and set up the solar panels. This issue is not widely discussed, but I believe that if the government or solar panel companies could lower the price or/and be available to set up and come clean the panels every so often more people would be willing to switch their main energy source to try to help slow down climate change.

Garage sales are an old tradition that have been around for decades, offering a simple way for people to declutter their homes, sell items they no longer need, help the environment, and connect with neighbours and their local community in a social setting. They show how far items can go, traveling from one household to another, sometimes crossing towns, cities, or even states, giving objects a second life and allowing them to be enjoyed by new owners rather than ending up in a landfill. The saying “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” perfectly captures the spirit of garage sales, where items that might seem useless to one person, like old books, clothes, or furniture, can hold great value and joy for someone else. These sales not only preserve the usefulness of items, but also help reduce waste, save resources, and keep countless objects out of landfills and waste-burning facilities. In this way, garage sales show practicality, and sustainability, proving that old habits can still have a positive impact on the environment, our communities, and the way we think about consumption today.

By making small, thoughtful changes to what we eat, each of us can help create a healthier planet. Eating fewer resource-intensive foods, especially beef, can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions because cows release large amounts of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas that is much more effective than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere over a 100 year period. Methane from cows adds a surprisingly large portion to our overall carbon footprint, not just from the gas itself but also from the land, water, and feed required to raise livestock. Making small shifts, like incorporating more plant-based meals or choosing environmental-friendly options, can collectively lower the environmental impact of our food system. I'm not telling you to never eat the foods you enjoy again, but all of us consuming slightly less of it can meaningfully cut methane emissions and conserve precious land and water resources. Even small dietary changes, when completed by millions, can help slow down climate change and create a more sustainable future for everyone.

Extreme weather events are happening more often today because human-driven climate change is steadily warming our planet, reshaping the world we once knew. Rising global temperatures intensify heatwaves, pushing people into dangerous, exhausting conditions that make even ordinary days feel overwhelming. As the atmosphere warms, it holds more moisture, releasing heavier downpours, violent storms, and even floods that leave families picking up the pieces of homes and memories. Warmer oceans fuel hurricanes with speed and force, turning familiar coastlines into sites of destruction almost overnight. Together, these changes make it  clear that climate change is not a distant threat but a current problem affecting all of us, demanding attention before the damage becomes irreversible.

A way some people could get rid of gifts they don’t like after the holiday season is a gift swap. For some people the gifts they receive is actually what they want, but for some people they receive gifts that they probably won’t ever use, which is where this idea comes in. This can be a community event or a school event where everyone comes together after the holiday season and you place all of your gifts on a table or out in the open. Then you  swap your gifts with someone else’s gift they didn’t want. The way you swap your gifts is  adjustable to how  people are there and  what the people want, it can vary. In the end , this a good way to receive something you actually want and will use instead of letting it collect dust on a shelf or worse, throwing it away which would intern more carbon emissions. This idea is also customizable to where you don’t have to swap your gifts for someone. It could be where everyone brings the gifts they didn’t really want or think they’ll use and then you’ll collect all those gifts and then you  could donate them to some charity or organization that could use them.

don't just throw your old clothes out! fast fashion is becoming a big problem and old or ripped/broken clothing items are filling our landfills. But There are many ways to repurpose your old stuff such a donating to thrift stores or charities, or upcycling them into fun projects or useful items. If not they can be turned into rags or donated to fabric recycling center. Making art is super fun and what better way to do it than with stuff you already have that would just end up in landfills, polluting our climate. Get crafting people!

going shipping uses  lots of gas and causes pollution, the food can get squished, lost , and get rotten on its way from farms to  stores so you should try to buy locally grown food and all grocery stores should bring locally grown groceries to sell so they are cheaper and better for and it’s also harder to check if groceries from somewhere else are 100% organic.

I totally agree with this. Food that was not locally grown was likely shipped by plane or boat, both of which emits a lot of greenhouse gasses, increasing our carbon footprint. Locally grown food would not have to be transported as far. The downside to this, is depending on where you live, locally grown food is not always available. Where I live Its really easy to go to a farmers market in the summer to buy locally grown produce, but in the winter, most things are imported. This makes it more expensive during winter months to buy local organic foods. I think that it should be made easier, and more cost efficient to buy local produce for everyone.

I totally agree with this MHRC. To add onto what you were saying about the accessibility of locally grown food. If everyone budgeted to buy from local businesses, their profits would increase, which would intern allow them to potentially attend more farmers markets, or if many people are enjoying the produce the word would  spread. However, some people can’t budget for this because of financial reasons. Which is where the government should come in and even out the prices of organic versus non-organic produce or food. This would decrease the amount of carbon emissions produced from the process of shipping non organic foods overseas if everyone shopped for organic products.

One way we can make a more sustainable city is first focusing on manageable things like  avoiding fast  fashion. Fast fashion is buying clothes that are currently in style, even if you don't need them, from companies that make them with cheap materials. This creates more clothes waste when these clothes go out of style fast and can cause harm to the environment because of the cheap and therefore more dangerous materials used in fast fashion. The creation of these clothes pollute the water and cause micro fabrics into the ocean as an article, "The Environmental Effect of Fast Fashion Explained" tells us. In order to prevent fast fashion, focus on thrift shopping, or buying higher quality clothes.

I totally agree, you made some great points. To add onto what you said about about thrift shopping or buying higher quality pieces. You have to be careful nowadays in thrift stores because a good amount of what you’re seeing is from fast fashion brands as a result of  this overproduction of clothes. The brand I see a lot when thrifting  nowadays is SHEIN. To add onto what you’re saying about buying higher quality pieces yes, the quality does matter, you’re correct about that.  However, you must be careful when buying a higher quality pieces as it’s irrelevant to buy a high quality piece if it was made unfair working conditions or the process of harvesting the materials for the product was harmful to the environment.

A way that some people will be able to get rid of their old items and some people will be able to get new items without buying brand new things, could be neighborhood item swaps. This idea could help those that are not fortunate enough to still get new things while helping those who over consume, to give back to their community and get rid of things they don't want or need any more without throwing them away (which creates more co2 emission). This would also be way more sustainable for those who are "addicted" to buying and having new things constantly, for them to have recycled/donated things so that they are not contributing to any more co2 emission. Another positive, unrelated, factor that may help decrease co2 emissions would be that neighborhoods could come together and talk. This could be highly impactful, raising awareness of climate change and possibly bringing up new ideas on how to decrease co2 emissions.

People believe that climate change is fake because they argue that it's still -10 degrees outside. That's the weather. Weather and climate are two very similar, but different things. Weather is the temperature of the current day. Climate is the temperature, precipitation rates, storm possibilities, and more. Climate tells us what the average weather will be for a certain time period. Over the years, we have seen the climate increase and more and more carbon dioxide gets released into the atmosphere.

If climate change is fake, then are the ice caps melting? Why are coral reefs going extinct? You may think that increasing the sea levels by 2 meters is nothing, but the effects are catastrophic. Many parts of the world including Florida, Miami, Bangkok, and more will be underwater. So what? Who cares about these cities? It's not about the cities. It's about the people. Who will pay for all the damage caused by these floods? Where will all the people populating the cities go? If we do not do something now, it will become much harder later to fix these problems.

Exactly, People really need to open their eyes nowadays, we are heading into a dark future. I hope to live in a future where my future grandkids will be able to see snow. I have a half-sister that dreams of seeing snow someday. As our carbon emissions go higher than ever recorded, I don't think it will be possible in the future unless we act now. Can you believe that after the industrial period, we have produced over 1,800 GtCO₂ which is 37.8 billion metric tons. How will we ever recover from this. As sea levels rise, i feel like more people are covering their eyes and ears as they don't believe this is really happening. 99% of scientists believe that climate change is real, but why don't the people believe? I'll tell you why; they are too scared to realize that us humans will go extinct in a matter of a few decades if we keep up our carbon emissions. There are ways we can reduce carbon, A bunch actually, but people live too lavish to care. If we can't do something about this right here and right now, our species is done. Mother nature can live without us. But we can't live without her.

Yeah, I strongly agree with what you guys are saying. We need to wake up to what climate change is doing to our planet,and not just in small places, like the pacific islands or the Maldives that don't really affect a large number of places, but everywhere. People have ignored the problem for so long, only because it didn't DIRECTLY impact their daily lives.And only now are people realising that this is real and they suddenly have to do something about it. But what about the people who have already been suffering for years, who had to move because rising sea levels made their country go extinct. These people have been trying to tell us for years that climate change is real, we are the problem, but we haven't listened until now. We all have to do something now to stop climate change before it's too late.

Everyone has wants and needs, and it's usually hard to balance the two. Needs things and items that you usually need, while wants are just something that you desire. And a problem with wants is that usually it gets to a point where you have too many things that you want and you don't end up using them just because you wanted it at the moment which causes resources to used wastefully.

I agree with this statement. Overconsumption has caused major effects in our climate and there are many people who can learn the importance of identifying a want, or a need. Wants take up a lot of overconsumption because when you want it, you tend to buy it. There is no problem purchasing items you want for your pleasure. However, there are times when you want more than you truly need and constantly buy things that just begin to pile up. On the other hand, needs are resources that help with your survival, like food, water, and warm clothing. Needs should have priority to your purchases. While you start to only buy things you need, your carbon footprint might start decreasing, less money will be spent and your action will positively impact our climate.

I agree that it’s super important to be mindful of your wants and needs. This can help limit over consumption which alone can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. It will reduce the amount of fossil fuels release when transporting your packages, and the garbage thrown away after unpackaging your items. When we only focus on what we need it helps us live a sustainable life from conserving resources.

Hi there friend I totally agree with this statement because I've  experienced it. For example, this usually happens to me while buying clothes where I see something that I want. Something that has helped me is seeing myself with it in the future and seeing if I'll actually use it or if I'm even a little bit hesitant I won't buy it. I do think this is a problem though because for the people out there who don't have very big limits when it comes to money they won't even stutter when thinking of buying something they might like. This is bad for the environment because it takes a lot of carbon to manufacture all those clothing, gadgets, tools and other stuff.

I totally agree, you have to be super careful with what you purchase and think if it’s a need versus a want. For example, the dollar store you might see an item that is only one to two dollars and think oh it’s only one to two dollars that won’t hurt. However, what you don’t take in account why these  products are so cheap. They were probably made in an unfair working condition or the materials were harvested in a way that hurts the environment. Which  will increase the carbon emissions from producing these cheap products if they weren’t created in a sustainable way.

I learned that most of my carbon emissions come from home energy and transportation. My footprint is 3,055 kg of CO₂ per year, which is lower than the average for California, but I still want to lower it. I think the easiest way to start is by using less electricity and turning off lights and electronics when not needed. Families can also switch to LED bulbs, use energy-efficient appliances, and adjust the thermostat to save energy. If more people made small changes at home, it could really help reduce total CO₂ levels.
(Source: ISCFC Calculator, 2024; EPA “Reducing Home Energy Use,” 2024)

Another thing we can do to lower carbon emissions at home is to turn off the water while we are brushing our teeth and only using it when needed. We could also just not use any heating or air conditioning, and as a substitute for heating we can use blankets.

There are many ways you can lower your carbon footprint. Like using public transit, walking, or biking instead of driving. You can also lower your beef consumption. Eliminating beef as much as possible, will significantly lower your carbon footprint. Cows produce methane, which is produced when they eat. One methane molecule is equivalent to about 23 CO2 molecules! Even replacing beef for chicken or fish will lower your carbon emissions. You can also lower your shower times.

At my school especially, I have noticed there has been a mass overconsumption of paper, and that the paper has not even been fully used. This causes unnecessary de-forestation of tress and more garbage (if not recycled) pollution, which leads to more co2 emmision. A step we can take to fix this would be to collect all paper at school every so often and do recyling paper projects, especially in art classes. In the class students would 1) break down the paper to pulp using and reusing water, 2) make a flat or whatever shape intended paper 3) let it dry, for schools to make their own recycled paper, reducing co2 emission and ensuring a full recycling process, rather than "accidental" littering.

We can re-use items like shopping bags, lunch containers, and bring cutlery for eating.  We can use water bottles instead of buying water in plastic bottles.  We can also reuse clothes by shopping at thrift stores.  When we do art, we can use recycled materials for projects.  We can recycle paper, and reuse paper scraps for projects.

A large part of someone's carbon footprint comes from the amount of time that they travel in cars, so if they live in large or urban cities they can travel via bicycle instead. Especially for shorter distances, bikes are good alternatives for car travel since they significantly cut down on carbon emissions and provide exercise. The only con to traveling with a bicycles in urban cities is that it can be dangerous at times as a lot of people don't watch the road in front of them.

I think that bicycling around your city as a transportation mechanism is a great idea and is good for decreasing carbon emissions. Although if your like me and live far away from school and don't necessarily want to bike to school in the morning you can also take public transit. Public transit is much better for carbon emissions then cars because lots of buses and all skytrains are electric powered instead of gas powered cars. Public transit also can carry up to 20-30 people for buses and can carry up to 100-200 people for skytrains where a car only carry's around 2 people.

I think students who live in the neighbourhood can walk to school more often.  They can also take a bus or ride a bike.  They can improve their carbon footprint by walking, riding their bikes.  Students can also take their lunch in containers and use reusable cutlery.

every week I have to drive to and from my sports and most of the time I have to drive 50km or more. I can't give this as my games are usually early in the morning, and I wouldn't have enough time if I didn't do this. although I try to balance this out by carpooling with other members of my team

Just take the bus

I do things very similar to this. I also have to drive to many events 4-6 times a week for sports. Also, often the he event is more than 30km each time. Additionally, sometimes we have games in Victoria or Nanaimo. To get to the islands, I have to take the ferry. I have tried to look for public transit, but there are not many options to the areas where I play.

Although I agree, RileyWcanada never specified where his sports took place, or if he could take the bus or not. and if they are less than an hour away you could also just bike because if you just biked instead of driving it would impact your carbon footprint a fare bit.

I have very similar problems, as i have a dance class all the way in maple ridge every week. We have to drive incredibly far there and back and we dont really have a choice as there is no bus that takes you that far. Carpooling would also be difficult for us because everyone in my class is very spread out and everyone in my area doesn't go to this class. They only go to a separate one. So it's a very tough situation and i truly wish i didnt have to drive that far.

i am also in the same situation as all of you. i have to drive 2 times a week for practice, and every Saturday for games, and many times my games are far away. people should consider walking if they can to sports that are not to far away. even biking,  taking the bus, or getting a ride with someone else.

There are many things that as people we naturally indulge in that we really have no need for. Because most people have evolved to be so naturally lazy we use things so environmentally horrible its shocking. Instead of driving your car to work you could bike instead,also by reducing shower times by just 5 minutes the energy needed to heat it could be affected greatly. Eating more organically and healthier could help you have a lower carbon footprint and be able to be more physically active meaning a bike is now a possible option over a car. Mass.gov says that other ways to be carbon efficient at home is to do things like recycle half of you plastic waste, and lower/ raise your thermostat depending on the temperature outside. With all of these together it is possible to make a comeback against mass carbon emissions and helps save humanity.

I agree with this completely since humans have evolved to be a lot lazier because we have made everything easier for humans. So for example instead of walking 20 mins to go to and from work we would instead just choose to take their car and save 15 mins of their day. So it is very important to understand the effects these actions will have on our environment and how they will eventually ruin our planet. So instead of making short term choices thinking that they wont effect anything we should instead make choices to better the overall health of our planet. Like instead of driving everywhere we go we could instead try to take public transit when you can. Also instead of taking 40 minute long everything showers we could try and cut down our shower time to only 15 or 20 minutes long. While doing your part by yourself stopping climate change is a group effort so reminding others to do their part can also play a big part in lowering the carbon footprint.

I also agree with this. Humans have gotten a lot lazier and more accustomed to things being made easy for us. For example, ordering clothing online; If you order online, there is often a lot of excess packaging, usually plastic. All this extra plastic being manufactured in large factories, which increases our greenhouse gas emissions. When you order something, it has to be shipped to you, either by plane, boat, and/or car. This further increases our carbon footprint. We have also become more, and more reliant on fast food, or factory made foods. These all have plastic containers or packaging, which greatly effects our environment. These are things that are now in our daily lives, and I think that even if we can't avoid these things every day, we can still try our best to avoid them as much as possible, even if its just a few times a week.

Extreme weather events (including but not limited to lightning) can cause wildfires. while a few wildfires are normal, with climate change in effect the wildfire rate has gone way up. wildfires each warm season now burn twice as many square hectares as they did before the human population skyrocketed. Wildfires destabilize ecosystems by removing prime food sources, destroying habitats and disorienting certain populations. Act now to prevent further damage.

I completely agree how wildfires are a serious problem that's been getting worse because of climate change. Hotter temperatures, dry conditions, and stronger storms make it easier for fires to start and spread quickly. Wildfires can hurt animals by destroying their homes and making it hard for them to find food, which can also change how the whole ecosystem works. People are affected too, because wildfires can damage homes, farms, and even make the air dangerous to breathe. Another problem is that wildfires release a lot of carbon into the air, which makes climate change even worse. We need to take action now, like planting more trees, managing forests carefully, and reducing pollution, to protect both nature and human communities.

(This isn't about wild fires, but forest fires.) I'm also very shocked to hear that people occasionally cause forest fires on purpose, just to get palm oil and make profit. People don't notice the harm tbey are causing to our future and planet in exchange of making money for themselves. I wish people knew the effects of their actions and how it leads to worsen the problem of climate change. They only focus on making profit from getting oil, even if that means having to start a fire

our planet is changing fast because of pollution and waste. if we all reduce trash and save energy. we can protect Earth for the future. small actions from everyone can make a big difference.

I 100 percent agree with what your saying because its true that our planet is changing fast due to all the pollution and waste. I think that if we all took climate change seriously we could make a big difference because we did start climate change so we can also finish the ongoing increase in carbon dioxide. If we don't stop climate change we could be majorly affected as humans in the future and also affect other populations (Animals). All of our small actions can make a difference but only if we all corporate.

While growing your own food reduces your carbon footprint, there are downsides to growing your own food. While growing your own food seems to be a great way to lower your carbon footprint, you don't have to buy imported food, or use transportation to get to the store, there are downsides. The main downsides are that most people can't afford to, or don't have the time to grow their own food. Growing your own food requires time for them to grow, and most people also can't get the same things for several days or weeks at a time, and you have to wait for them to grow. For some people, they can't afford the seeds, dirt, and water needed to raise the plants. Sometimes people's only options are to go to the store.

i agree with TLee11. although growing your own food would benefit the climate largely, people are tight on space. it might be hard to grow your own food if you live in an apartment, or if you live in somewhere with extreme weather conditions or not much soil for growing produce. this is why clubs that give you opportunity's to grow food are such great ideas. because it can teach you the benefits of organic food, that wasn't made or transported through large factories.

My family would really like to be vegetarian. But because my family has some personal health issues, this is only possible for us once or twice a week. We were vegetarian for a long time. But meat became really important to my family's health a while ago, and we weren't able to give it up anymore. But i think its important to source your meat reputably and responsibly and try to address to yourself where it came from and acknowledge what you're eating before consumption if your family really has to eat meat like mine.

Companies have a crucial responsibility in addressing global warming. They must prioritize sustainable practices, reduce emissions, and invest in renewable energy sources.
By taking proactive measures, companies can mitigate their carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.
However, as long as companies prioritize short-term profit over the well-being of the planet, change remains an illusion. It is essential for companies to realign their financial priorities towards sustainable investments and eco-friendly practices. Only then can we hope to reverse the trend of global warming and protect our environment for future generations

I definitely agree with you, many larger companies are way too obvious to the harm that their non biodegradable waste is for the environment. I feel that the larger food and grocery stores need to start solely only allow biodegradable bags/ packages.

Very true, and the people with all this money tend to say they help the environment or are going to, but don't actually act on what they said.

Very true, and the people with all this money tend to say they help the environment or are going to, but don't actually act on what they said.

I agree! We’re told that we can make a difference by turning off lights and water, or buying compostable things, and while this helps, I’ve read that the main problem is the companies that burn fossil fuels, or contribute to fast fashion/consumerism. What we really need to do is get them to stop or switch to different methods, but all the people in power care about is money, and because the things they are doing now are cheap and the more sustainable methods are more expensive, they refuse to switch. Despite them all being some of the richest people in the world and having too much money to even consider spending in one lifetime. I doubt using methods that won’t eventually kill us will affect their style of life too much.

I absolutely agree. A vast majority of companies do not care about their carbon footprint and do not take the necessary steps in order to appropriately limit them just to save them some money. It's completely morally corrupt, but morals are clearly disregarded in the face of profits.

I agree, most companies don't care enough to mention the importance of the earth's safety and where the money goes. They can use their company's popularity to provide information or encourage people to take action. Even if they don't do this, they can contribute by switching from burning fossil fuels to something else.

You’re right, companies hold a ton of power when it comes to fighting global warming. They’ve got the money, the reach, and the ability to push things in the right direction. Still, too many stick with whatever makes the most profit, even if it’s bad for the planet. Switching to renewable energy, cutting emissions, and choosing greener ways to operate shouldn’t just be nice ideas—they need to be the norm. Honestly, as long as companies keep chasing quick wins instead of thinking about the bigger environmental picture, we won’t see real progress.

I completely agree as well. Major companies hold a tremendous amount of power over politics. they can easily influence the political decisions made and turn things toward their favor. Companies are avoiding the fact that climate change is a huge problem. They're only focused on short term revenue and profits. Altogether ignoring the bigger picture that they're slowly destroying our planet because of their greed. Using renewable energy or choosing more sustainable ways to make their products is easy, it's just a matter of whether you care enough about the issue to do it. Because if we continue down this path and turn an eye away from climate change, future generations might never be able to witness snow firsthand or live in a peaceful world without major disasters.

I agree. This is a huge problem, but it's not just companies, it's the very foundation of our society that is the problem. As humans we tend to see the world from a very individual perspective, separate countries, separate poeple. Our society is run on consumerism and capitalism and if we want to live a sustainable future this will have to change. we are so busy with our day to day lives caring for ourselves, our familles, work school, that we aren't able to think about everybody all the time and the impacts longterm of our decisions, so we're left waiting on politicians and big companies to make a difference, but most of them rely on the revenues that come from fossil fuels so they aren't willing to change. politicians are more our elected followers rather than leaders, they have to do what the people want in order to get elected, even if they really want to make change. but since billionaires make their money on fossil fuels they would want to prevent laws and taxes against fossil fuels to keep up their income and so missinformation is spread to the public about climate change and change isn't able to happen at the rate we need it too.

I agree with you. Major companies only care about how much money they can make. They almost have everything you need to push the people in the right direction: money, and influence. But they choose not to. They could easily switch to using renewable energy as they have the money to do it. but they choose not to as fossil fuel is cheap and works well. They are slowly killing our planet without us realizing it. They shut down any talk about how their companies are corrupt and are killing our planet by using influencers to shut us up. If companies keep on chasing money rather than environmental friendly options, we will never survive as a species.

Environmental justice means making sure that all people, and organisms, have equal access to a clean and healthy environment. Globally, low-income communities and communities of POC often are faced with higher exposure to pollution, limited access to clean water, and overall more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Environmental justice is about understanding the inequalities and impacts and working towards solutions and policies that protect both the planet and the people most affected by environmental harm. One thing I noticed from calculating my family's carbon footprint was that a lot of the emissions came from transportation and home. Although not much can be done about traveling via planes, I think installing solar panels and using public transportation or an electric vehicle can lessen CO2 emissions, ultimately leading to less pollution and a cleaner environment.

Very well said, and I completely agree with your definition of environmental justice. Developing countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change, facing greater impacts from extreme weather and health risks compared to already industrialized countries: the result of inequities deep rooted in systematic racism; POC communities have limited access to resources like you said, which is a right everyone has. However, these countries are the ones trying their utmosts to mitigate their carbon emissions. These nations with minimal contribution to the problem, are prioritizing efforts to develop climate-resilient infrastructure and try turning to renewable energy. However, what can be done, and how can they turn their country to cleaner energy while they are simultaneously trying to lift their people out of poverty?

I have noticed that in my country that we have had an increase in rain and temperature. Summers have been have been getting hotter and the amount of rain that we had this year, especially the week of halloween was a lot and hate to see how climate change has done this. with climate change ice bergs have been melting, creating more water in our ocean, leading to more rain and eventually a rise in the ocean levels. A rise in ocean levels has already started happening in countries close to the water. Recently hurricane Melissa had affected Jamaica really significantly and I would hate to see it happen to my country and others around our world. Topics like this get us thinking what can we do to lower our carbon footprint and reflects what we can do to lower our carbon footprint.

climate change can be caused by our carbon footprints and I think it is important to try and lower them. Another factor of climate change is the increase of the human population because as the population of humans increase, the earth gets more populated and the humans increase their carbon footprints. The greenhouse gasses from the carbon footprints warm up the earth which can cause climate change and be harmful to our enviorment.

I very much agree with this statement. Having an exponentially growing population is doing huge amounts of harm to our environment. Organisms other than humans are incredibly important to our ecosystems, and if we don't lower our carbon footprint as a whole, animals and plants are at risk. The more humans on earth, ex: the more gas we need to fill our cars. causing more oil to have to be found in the forest or ocean which takes away many homes and resources for species that are essential to us. The amount at which we hurt our environment, we will be hurt back. the more humans, the more harm done.

Climate change is almost entirely because of our carbon footprints. Before human industrialization, the earths carbon cycle was balanced. There was about an equal amount of Carbon dioxide going in to the atmosphere as the Carbon coming out. Humans carbon footprints are the cause of ice melting in the arctic, and the extinction of animals. I think that we have to do anything we can to lower our carbon footprints. Such as eating less meat, buying more second-hand clothing, avoiding excess packaging, and turning the lights off when we leave a room.

I think one of the main issues when it comes to coming up with ways to improve carbon emissions is the cost of it. Although purchasing organic food is better and less harmful to the environment, it is not an accessible option for many. Organic food tends to be way more expensive than processed food, which happens to be a much cheaper option. What people should do if purchasing organic food isn’t affordable is start setting up gardens in their home so their food is healthier and cheaper.

I agree with this, people should start setting up gardens.

I think it would be an amazing idea to start growing our own gardens. It would be affordable instead of having to spend a lot of money in stores to get produce and, If you have any left over produce you can donate it to people in need or you could also make a profit out of it as well.

I truly agree with you that food waste can be very harmful for the environment. It causes lots of food waste, and plastic not being thrown out properly. I also totally agree that a greater effort needs to be made into recycling food waste from restaurants since it is becoming a must that needs to be done.

I agree with your statement. Although not all people have access to outside areas to grow food. Depending on the setup, community gardens could also be an option.

a major setback for lot of people is prices. often, organic and whole foods are much more expensive then heavily processed factory foods that come in bulk. however, if grocery stores could gather all the local and organic foods that don't come from large factories, and put them in a section with clear prices, that could greatly help. often times, people lack motivation to look for more environmentally friendly options, so if all those options were easy to find with comparable prices, that would be great.

I agree with your statement as well. Organic food is also harder to maintain, as it does not have preservatives and other chemicals to make it last longer. it is also common for humans to use substances to increase the growth of crops and vegetables. Meanwhile organic food takes much more time and care to nurture and grow. This is why if everyone starts a home garden, organic food will be more abundant and easier to access overall.

I agree. This also shows why garden clubs at schools are so important because it allows students to eat healthy, organic food while helping with climate change, and learning a skill that can be used forever. Since there are so many of us (students) to feed, it also ensures that these crops are not wasted. By growing organic food, we can take some carbon out of the air, and feed ourselves as well. Since schools also have a bigger area on where we can grow crops, it is much more efficient. As you said, it takes a long time for these foods to grow, and we might only be able to grow a few crops at home, meanwhile at school, we could grow five times or more, than we usually would at home.

I agree with you, organic food is usually more expensive than non organic food making most people reach for the non organic/cheaper option. I do also agree that people should grow at least a bit of their food but one thing to think about is that with city populations going up more apartment buildings and condos are going up. With people who live in apartments usually don't have enough space for everyone in them or even most people to have gardens. Even if each building had a communal garden not everyone would benefit from it. though its a good place to start and if you have your own property starting a small garden is a great idea.

Florida is confronting critical threats from rising sea levels that inundate low-lying coastal cities like Miami and Tampa, alongside increasingly severe hurricanes and storms that escalate insurance costs and damage essential infrastructure. Additionally, warmer air and ocean temperatures intensify environmental crises such as red tide and coral bleaching, jeopardizing our vital tourism and fishing industries. These escalating physical and economic challenges underscore an urgent call to action—both for comprehensive adaptation measures and for bold initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions, primarily driven by major corporations. It is imperative that we act decisively to safeguard Florida’s future.

Hello Marina, I agree with you so much here. So many huge cities located on the coasts all over the world are being put at risk due to global warming and climate change like New York, Japan and Florida like you mentioned. Our governments need to do better and warn the people about risks happening. Our homes will disappear! We have to act fast and get our governments and corporates to enforce rules or laws that help prevent the oceans from rising. As students, we can't do too much and don't have a lot of power in changing what goes on with laws. This is a huge crisis that needs to be solved. I heard Tuvalu has disappeared due to sea levels rising so high and had to evacuate, this big problem needs to be fixed before we have nowhere to go.

Solar panels are a wonderful invention that have the capability to reduce the carbon footprint of entire cities by more than thousands of pounds. It is a great source of energy that can reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to power a household. Implemented at large amount around the world it could help lower the carbon emissions even if it is by a small amount.

I agree to this, and I also think that solar panels are an amazing invention. I think that if we were able to implement solar panels in most of the world, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a lot. The main problem with solar panels are most of the world can't see the good solar panels can do, and they're expensive to build, and many countries are struggling with their economy. However, I think that if we get some of the most influential countries to invest in solar panels, it would make a big difference in convincing other countries to follow their footsteps.

I also agree with this statement as well. although this would definitely cost a lot for cities to install, the long-term effects outweigh the cost. Firstly, this would greatly impact climate change and drastically slow down its effects. This would also benefit the city. Electrical power plants could be shut down and thus save the city money from maintaining and operating them. Citizens would also be happier, as there would be no more electrical taxes and energy is practically free. Lastly, this change can improve the air quality of cities. This will improve respiratory problems and get rid of plenty of pollutants and smog.

My carbon emissions for my household are much larger than other people worldwide. This is because one of my houses uses gas for everything. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can reduce the carbon emissions in general while living at home?

Hey there Eric. There are so many ways to cut down on carbon emissions while living at home. Some ideas I have are taking shorter showers (around 7 minutes max) will reduce a lot since we use a lot of water when showering. (approximately 17-20 gallons of water) You can also remember to turn off running water when brushing your teeth because treated water uses carbon and basically if you leave the water running, you are wasting water and creating excessive carbon use! If your washer and dryer are powered by gas, try only doing laundry loads when your machine becomes full or try air drying your clothes without a dryer. Another thing that can help is instead of using heating systems, you can try layering more clothes on and encourage others living with you to do the same instead of turning the heating on. Hope this helped Eric!

Hi Eric, Another thing you could do is to make sure that all the lightbulbs in your house are LEDs. LEDs are  a lot more energy efficient, than floresents or incandesces. They are more energy efficient, converting way more energy into light, and  not heat. They also save money because they last longer and you would have to replace them less often. You could also try to walk, ride your bike  or take public transportation to work or school depending on where you live. All these things emit significantly less carbon than driving. Lastly, you could try and change your diet if you are okay with that, to more plant based alternatives.

the climatic conditions are getting worse and worse, today we should reduce the consumption of non renewable sources, reduce pollution, stop deforestation, recycle, and use renewable sources.

I agree that we should do this, but it's not that easy. most of the things in the world run on non-renewable resources and it would take much longer to convert all of these into renewable sources. I think we should focus on putting are money into things like carbon scrubbers that take the carbon out of the atmosphere so that we have more time to convert to clean energy. we should also implement a mandatory carbon tax to help fund this well also making harder for people to continue using fossil fuels etc...

I notice that the internet is a  huge factor to the reason why people are such impulsive shoppers online, and thus leading many to purchase things that they don’t need at all.  Social media, such as tiktok, instagram  and other apps promotes new random gadget or new clothes to users that'll be forgotten about in a few weeks max. A study done by Earth Institute’s Research Program says that, "And in fact, across its life cycle, the average product results in carbon emissions of 6.3 times its own weight",not only meaning that these products are simply useless but that it causes harm to the environment. Not to  mention that the quality of these items promoted on these apps  are extremely cheap  and short-lasting  so much so that they really aren't worth your money.

I fully agree. The influence of social media is causing so many people to buy things that they don’t need. For example, new clothes, beauty products, electronics, etc… When we buy these things and realize we don’t need them, not only did we waste our money but also just created more garbage. When we decide to donate or trash the cheap products, it ends up polluting our environment. This is not good! Everyone needs to start thinking about the outcome of buying these useless products and where they are going to end up!

I completely agree. the large impact of influencers has totally forced us into buying way too many products leading to unnecessary amounts of waste. this is a huge problem in the way that we are always being told we need more but with that also comes the carbon footprint .

This is so true. Social media has become such a big part of our daily lives that we don't notice how much impact it has on our actions. We tend to buy anything we see online, just because it's trending or it looks cool, not noticing that in 2 months, you won't even remember that you bought it. A lot of these products on your for you page are visibly appealing, and its made for you to buy it because its aesthetic, or because everybody has it. Labubu's are a big example on this. People only bought them once it became a trend to have one, but nobody thinks of what they will do with it after it goes out of trend. When we think about it, they're just pieces of plastic that's pretty useless (sorry). Since the sales of Labubus significantly increased, the company started producing more and more, just creating even more waste.

An effective way to prevent food waste is to store food properly and freeze food to extend its freshness. When you freeze food and store it properly it extends how long it will stay fresh. Also storing it properly ensures the food doesn't spoil too early.

Yes I totally agree.Storing food in the freezer can save you from wasting a lot of food. You can freeze Vegetables,Fruits, any other foods. Freezing fruits and Vegetables and really help a lot because they go bad quickly.

Yes, I totally agree that this technique will indeed stop food waste. Freezing food prevents it from going bad quickly, and it can lower the chance of food being wasted more often.

I really agree with your answer.

I agree with this. my family has a large freezer that we keep in the garage to store excess produce, meat, and food that we make and purchase. due to this we have almost never let food go to waste and are able to unfreeze meals that we make beforehand rather than spend time cooking.

I totally agree. Freezing fresh food and produce is such an incredible way to preserve our food. By doing this we are increasing the amount of time it’s consumable. This helps lower families carbon footprint by majorly reducing food waste.

I strongly agree with freezing food. Using a freezer to store leftovers, meats, deserts, and frozen foods definitely help prevent food waste. From experience, my family and I have saved  money, time, and food in general. It helps preserve the food from going bad, which allows us to have many meals that still taste and feel fresh.

I agree that freezing food is good. I agree because freezing food is a way to stop wasting food, and to make the food still be safe to eat. this is good because it lowers carbon footprints. freezing food is also good because you don't need to get more food, and the frozen food keeps it safe to eat.

These days, corporations would do anything for money like harming the enviornment. For example, Elon Musk's rocket debris had been spread out all over the Caribbean. This harmed the enviornment but he can never be held accountable because of the power and money he has. This can also to many other corporations that work in other fields that other related to space. AI companies recycles water that is dangerous for the enviornment if it is ever put in the open. This is just one of many examples. I believe that there should be laws to keep corporation responsible for their actions.

I agree with you. Corporations need to be responsible for their actions, especially when they affect so many people worldwide. Things like mining operations come into somewhere, mine everything valuable, then leave with the profits.  They are leaving the people who live there to deal with the negative environmental effects like water pollution, unbalanced ecosystems. Also, oftentimes the people who live in places full of resources or land  are people who usually don't have the recourses to deal with the problem. Big corporations already have lots of money and power, so if they are held accountable, they could use that money to do something.

I highly agree! Corporate interests contribute tremendously to the carbon in our atmosphere. These people in positions of higher power benefit directly from fossil fuel companies, which furthers their drive for money. Many politicians and climate-change deniers are able to sway the public's opinion on our world's current state, exploiting their voters' partisan identities and tailoring their messages to directly resonate more with their supporters. By doing so, fossil fuel corporations are held in even higher power. This perpetuates the cycle of misinformation, and delays action to be done about climate change because so many people are in doubt of whether climate change is even real.

I think that using plastic water bottles for just one time, and then throwing them out is really bad for the environment and contributes to climate change. This is because all of the trash in the landfills contribute to pollution, which hurts the growth of trees, and the trees help prevent climate change by producing oxygen. I think that instead of wasting and throwing away plastic bottles after one use, they can be used many times in the future, like normal reusable water bottles.

That is a brilliant point, plastic water bottles and other things that are not reusable can tremendously impact the wildlife and environment. Especially when littered around the streets these things a get washed up by rain into rivers and large bodies of water completely ruining the beauty of nature and when animals mistake these plastics for food can result in a horribly gruesome death. I agree with your idea about using these plastics multiple times an I think talking about these consequences to more people may make reusable water bottles appeal to more people instead of the plastic ones.

Yes, Jigesh. I agree that plastic water bottles should be used multiple times, or should maybe even be discontinued in general. Plastic items take an insane amount of time to break down and take up unecessary space in landfills. They can also end up in oceans where they mess with and even harm the marine wildlife.

I agree with this. Single-use containers, like plastic water bottles, are extremely bad for the environment. Plastic bottles emit greenhouse gasses not only when they are breaking down in landfills, they also emit them when they are being manufactured. This is incredibly bad for the environment.

Hey Jigesh, I also believe that "one time use water bottles" aren't really one time use bottles. They can have so much purpose and potential instead of being used for 20 minutes and being thrown away. Yes, of course, you can always put water in it again but there are other uses, like when I was younger, we used plastic water bottles as plant pots in a way to grow sprouts, helping us garden at home instead of buying vegetables from stores. You can also make a use of the bottle as a watering can poking holes in the cap for gardening instead of buying a new watering can. I also bet you can look online and find so much more uses for old water bottles from TikTok or YouTube. Plastic water bottles are so harmful towards our world so reusing is an amazing thing, or another solution is to buy a reusable later bottle so you can use the same bottle without throwing it out for years!

Afghanistan is facing widespread starvation everyday due to their economy, years of conflict, natural disasters, and the abrupt Taliban takeover. Millions of Afghans are facing malnutrition at extreme levels, particularly among children and women. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis where families resort to desperate measures to survive, according to this BBC article, written by Yogita Limaye expresses the concern for children in Afghanistan over the struggle of providing food. It's gotten so serious many Afghans wonder if their child is able to survive. If we could provide donations to the people, or create fundraisers for the people being affected by this.

I agree with this because there are people out there that are suffering and some people waste it or throw the food away. There are babies that need food even little 5 yrs old that need food that are suffering from hunger. The parent work really hard for their family to eat food and people out here wasting food instead giving it to those that need the food. This why I agree with SanaK because she is right there should be
a fundraiser and that is going to make the suffering people lives easier.

I also agree with this. Since there is a war going on, it has been even more difficult to deliver food and other essential supplies to those who need it. Its a shame that there are millions of people in the world casually wasting food while millions of others are out there starving, desperate for food and water. I think that even if everyone in the world donated even just one small box of food, there could be billions upon billions of boxes of food for those who need it. However, schools can and already have started hosting fundraiser and food donation drives for organizations and people who need it. Businesses should also have similar promotions for their employees to help support the cause. Thank you for reading this.

I also agree with this. Since there is a war going on, it has been even more difficult to deliver food and other essential supplies to those who need it. Its a shame that there are millions of people in the world casually wasting food while millions of others are out there starving, desperate for food and water. I think that even if everyone in the world donated even just one small box of food, there could be billions upon billions of boxes of food for those who need it. However, schools can and already have started hosting fundraiser and food donation drives for organizations and people who need it. Businesses should also have similar promotions for their employees to help support the cause. Thank you for reading this.

Recently people started to use trash for fun crafts and decoration. Decoration can be expensive but when you make it yourself it’s free! Crafting is a cheap way to make things that can be useful in your home. You can use anything to make useful things, a way to repurpose things is using trash. Parents can use their crafts as DIY toys, making the lives easier.  It is a cheap way to distract their kids for a little while. The trash you are about to throw away could be something you could use for years, so try your best to make the most out of it.

Exactly! This is a great point. There are so many things we recycle and throw away that can be turned into something really useful. I saw earlier someone said they turned an old milk jug into a watering can. Not only does that reuse something that was gonna be recycled, but it also saves money. Same with arts and crafts. I had an awesome time using old popsicle sticks for fun crafts when I was younger, it was one of my favourite things! When we reuse and repurpose items we can almost always get the same outcome of using something brand new.

these are great points! a lot of people will buy new Halloween decorations every year. my family makes Halloween decor out of old cardboard from our recycling bin and makes signs out of scrap paper. often times, it looks even better then store bought because it adds that homemade charm that you can get from just putting work into things. same goes for homemade cards and gifts, i know that i like a nice handmade birthday card from someone, then a generic one from the store. Old scrap paper can look great if we put the work in!

Extreme weather happens year round due to climate change, not just one time of year, and it happens because it is linked to factors like increased greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat. When it happens, heavy rains and cold Weathers occur, but impacts can include flooding, wildfires, more intense storms, and health issues from heat waves.

Yeah, one of the main concerning weather events is probably hurricanes and heat waves, since they are the most common. We have already seen many of these happen around the world and it seems like every time it gets increasingly worse and worse. But even one persons change in perspective and lifestyle can go a long way to helping reduce carbon emissions. However not everyone agrees and some are against these statements which is why we can only do our part in what we can.

I totally agree with you, I feel like the most impactful weather event that affect families greatly is massive floods. Since most of the main cities and countries around the world are mainly located near the water, like Singapore and Tokyo, need to worry about sea levels rising and massive and devastating floods that will level homes and businesses. If we don't act fast, we might see people migrating as our oceans get higher. This is mainly due to the fact that carbon is being trapped inside our atmosphere, heating up our planet. Thus, making our glaciers melt and making more moisture in the air, leading to more heavy rainfall, which overwhelm our sewage and drainage systems causing a flood.

Our items and belongings that we have, clothes, technology and such should be kept if it is able to be used. For example, the clothes that I have are good enough and I do not need or want to buy new ones. There is no need to buy new clothes if the ones that I have are already good, and it would just be a waste of money and it would damage the climate. The fashion industry already makes up 8-10% of the total global carbon emissions, and me buying new clothes would make it go up even more.

you're totally right about this, the fashion industry is insane for carbon emissions. i never realized it was like 8-10% of global emissions until i started researching. honestly keeping the clothes you have is way smarter than constantly buying new stuff. plus most new clothes are fast fashion that fall apart anyway so you end up replacing them more often. if everyone just wore what they already had and took care of it, the fashion industry's carbon footprint would drop so much. it's crazy how simple the solution is but nobody does it.

I completely agree with you on this, I think that it will always be smart to keep your clothes till you absolutely can't fit them any more. I also think that many more people should shop at secondhand places and thrift stores when they need new clothes. Of course for some things you need to get them new but for most things thrift stores work just as well and are usually much cheaper. I knew the carbon admissions because of the fashion industry where high but I didn't know they where that high.