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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Almost everything in our daily lives affect our carbon footprint, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a not so good way. Some might say that our carbon footprint doesn’t matter but if we all have that mindset then it does matter because we are all affecting our environment and its climate. So some simple ways to lower your carbon footprint are as follows; start using a bike to travel shorter distances, eat less meat or eat pasture-based meat, or even changing the light bulbs in your house into LED’s.

Hi there. You have some really great points about how to cut down on carbon. Along with biking to travel short distance, you can also take public transportation around your city. (city bus, sky train, subways or even city boat) Public transit is amazing since it's basically carpooling with a whole bunch of people. Since I don't live near my school, I bus to school and back home every day and I am proud of how much carbon emissions I am emitting compared to if I got driven to school every day. I would like to say LED lights are amazing, in my house, I have a lot of lights (more than 100) but more than 95 % are LED's, they are around 90 % more fuel efficient than normal fluorescent lights so I really encourage everyone to make the change since LED lights are really great especially if you are trying to cut down on the amount of carbon you emit!

My name is Àlvaro, i have 16 years old and i'm form Spain.
My total carbon footprint is 6,545 per year ,compared to an average of 6,968 kgs for Spain, and 3791 kg (= 8358 lb) worldwide. I have to improve many things like reducing the amount use of plastic bags from stores, supermarkets etc.I will also try to reduce shower time, which influences in water waste.
What other things can I do to improve this carbon footprints results ?

Another thing you can do is cut down on the amount of electricity you use. Whether it’s turning off lights when you leave the room or un plugging things when you are no longer using them. You can also start to walk or bike to school instead of drive. When you stop driving it helps lower the usage of gas and emissions of greenhouse gasses. You can also start buying locally grown and organic food products!

I've noticed that the carbon footprints around the world are different and on average are higher in more populated areas like America and lower in smaller places that use less technology every day. over time the carbon footprints of humans have increased because of technology and the population growing. The human population has grown because of reasons like medical advances and evolution, and technology which has also increased out carbon footprints and could be harmful to our enviorment.

I'm writing this to ask a question. My carbon footprint isn't exactly huge, but some things have made me doubt whether my own choices are even accurate.

For example, how could I reduce my light consumption if it's dark when the sun goes down? Would using candles help? If I use candles, my expenses would increase, wouldn't they?

Besides needing some recycling tips, I'm running out of ideas on how to recycle things without throwing them away.

Hello! I have some recycling tips for you. If you have old clothes you want to get rid of you can donate them. Also another thing I love to do is cut up parts of the clothes such as turning jeans into shorts, its a great way to make a pair of something you already have into something new!

To reduce your light consumption if it's dark you can use energy-efficient light bulbs they use less energy and cost less. Yes candles can work but they can also get messy and many more. You can recycle any thing plastic that you use and clothes that you may not wear or can't fit anymore.

I think that using a candle would be smart from time to time when the sun goes down and a tip for a recycling that involves candles would be to use Glass jars and bottles to make candle holders, vases, or for storing dry goods. You can also turn them into reed diffusers.

If you are worried about your carbon footprint growing from your lights, a great way to lower it is L.E.D. lights. L.E.D. light bulbs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. On top of that they could help you save up to $300 a year on electricity.

Source: https://www.arcadia.com/blog/led-vs-reg … difference

Sorry, I just noticed you're from Spain so I'm not exactly sure how much you would actually save on electricity. Though it is still more efficient than other light bulbs types, so take it as you will.

Personally as a 14 year old high school student that lives in California the average carbon Footprint in my region is around 10.5 metric tons. This is a high number compared to the world average of  a mere 5 tons. This gap between California and the rest of the world could be closed if high schools start encouraging shared transportation. Schools in high schools could also start relying partially or fully on renewable energy sources. Another inexpensive way to reduce carbon footprint is to start unplugging electronic devices when not in use.  This simple task could reduce carbon emissions by a huge amount. These simple factors is what separates the rest of the world from California in terms of carbon emissions. According to ec.europa.eu  school in Romania turned completely green, ”It used to face problems related to heat and sound insulation and poor indoor air quality. It underwent a deep energy renovation, and the high school now provides a much healthier and comfortable indoor environment suitable for learning.” This shows how European schools managed to turn completely green reducing the average carbon emission released per person. These small things that these schools and students have done show big impacts. So using these previous ideas that are proven to work we should implement them within California.

Do you by chance like parmasean cheese?

One of the main reasons my carbon footprint is so high is transportation. Even tho I personally don't drive in a car often and go everywhere by foot, my family uses their cars on a daily basis(work, shopping, running errands...). I honestly think it is unnecessary to use cars to go somewhere that is within walking distance. Im also in shock when I'm going to or from school and see a bunch of cars but every car has one person in it. If you know someone or have friends that are going to the same destination, wouldn't it make sense to drive with them? Instead of driving, I recommend going places by bike, by foot or use public transportation.

I agree! I take public transit to school every day, but because of how much my family has to use cars to get to work/ my younger sibling's school that category was very high for me. My city has things like carpool lanes on the highways/freeways but we are severely lacking in a good public transit system. I always try to walk or carpool to get to where I need to go, but because of where I live it's very difficult. I wish more cities had good public transit systems, and I think that would help with the problem of everyone individually driving everywhere.

I completely agree with both of these responses. As a student athlete I am not only driving or taking public transport to school, but driving to my out of school sports. My mornings consist of either driving to the bus stop or having my mom drive about 10 miles each way to get to school. Along with that, the traffic in the bay area is consistently bad with a usual of one person in each car, clogging the lanes up even more. Due to the amount of poverty in the Bay Area not as many people use public transport that can be utilized for limited traffic and less cares on the road. I think if we can utilize our relationships for carpool or our public transportation resources, we can help get cars off the street and limit our gas usage.

I totally agree, the amount of pollution that gets spread just by cars is unbelievable. When I was in 6th and 7th grade, my parents would drive me and my friend to school every day because of scheduling complications. Not only did it turn out to be a really fun experience, but it also reduced my friend's carbon admission in the process. It was a both fun and more eco-friendly way to travel. This video really dives deep into what we can do to reduce the amount of carbon we produce.

Yeah that makes sense. Transportation is a rough thing when it comes to carbon. It definitely raises the footprint. It's really great that you're recognizing it and making an effort to change it. I will take your advice for sure when it comes to the biking and the waking because biking and walking to the places you need to go is truthfully the most carbon neutral way to handle things like this. Very smart. I appreciate your input.

I totally agree! I think that using cars is a great way to travel long distances, but not so much when you can walk. It is much more efficient when you can share transportation with other people, like in a carpool. Having six or seven people in a car significantly reduces the amount of carbon emissions that would otherwise be necessary.

While I agree that public transportation, biking, and walking are much more environmentally friendly alternatives to driving a car, it can be difficult to do these things in some cities. Unfortunately, a lot of cities lack the public infrastructure like sidewalks and easily accessible paths between places that is needed to make a city walkable. The public transportation systems in many places are also largely flawed, there often isn’t enough funding, poor accessibility, poor scheduling, and many other problems. This issues could be solved to make cities more navigable without relying on cars, but governments often don’t prioritize this.

Transportation is nice especially when it is accessible in the driveway of your home. However the gasses it gives off is not good for our climate. Not only that but the maintenance can be a headache in itself. The other issue that comes with the maintenance is the disposal of parts. Instead of having to go through this trouble why not find alternatives that can be much easier to maintain and not have to deal with as many junk parts. Biking is a great alternative that can also improve your physicality as well. If accessible another alternative the tram or sky rail which does not give off any gasses to travel on.

We don't need cars; wherever we go, we can get there by other means. Cars are good for long-distance travel, like going from Florida to New York. That's like a 13-hour drive. Walking is better for short distances, great for exercise, and the most environmentally friendly option. Bicycling: Good for medium distances, faster than walking, and still provides a workout.Bicycling: Good for medium distances, faster than walking, and still provides a workout.

You are absolutely right: transportation significantly contributes to the carbon footprint, and your suggested alternatives walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling are among the most effective ways to reduce it. I genuinely believe we can make a meaningful reduction in our environmental impact and save money by making a few small changes. For short trips under 2 miles, I highly recommend trying to walk or bike. It's not only zero-emissions but also a great way to fit exercise into your day. For longer commutes to work or school, I often find it shocking to see single-occupancy cars, especially during rush hour. If we know someone, such as a colleague, classmate, or neighbor, who is also going to the same place, would it make sense to seriously consider carpooling with them? Sharing one trip among two or more people is much better than everyone driving alone. For errands, if the destination is near a bus or train line, taking public transportation is an excellent way to save on gas and reduce the stress of driving and parking.

I agree, we shouldn’t rely on cars so much and should only drive them when necessary like transporting something or when places are over 25-30 minute walking distance. I also believe that bikes would be a much better option if the walk is too far/long. Decreasing how much we drive our cars could have a much more positive affect than we think; less gas being emitted into the atmosphere; save money; free way of exercise; overall eco-friendly.

Yeah I get what you mean Leda, and you make really good points about transportation. Even if you walk most places, your family's daily use of a car can still raise your overall carbon footprint. It's true that a lot of people drive even when the place they are going is close enough to even walk, and that adds up over time. I also agree that using bikes, walking, or taking public transportation can help cut down on pollution. Which those small choices can actually have a big impact if more people actually start to decide to do it.

Hi! My name is Ava and I live In Jacksonville, Florida.
I drive about 30 minutes to work from my house 5 days a week, not only this but I drive 10 minutes from work to my college 3 days a week. Along with that I drive from my house or work to my boyfriend’s house almost everyday. Being more conscious of how much I’m driving during the week could definitely help. I’m currently learning how to skateboard, so maybe skateboarding to my boyfriend’s house from my house would help lower this. I could also carpool with someone to work or take the bus in order to limit my carbon emissions. Below is an article which lists other ways one could lower their transportation emissions!

https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint