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

Hi! My name is Ava and I live in Jacksonville, Florida.

My carbon footprint is extremely high within my home, because I live with my family of 5. I brought up how concerning the carbon footprint was to my family members and we have all taken steps to try to fix it. First step we have taken is eating less meat, bor only this but we have replaced the remaining non LED light bulbs in our house hold to LED’s. This has help tremendously as we have over 1,000 light bulbs if you include our string lights outside the house. The article below speaks on other ways to limit your carbon footprint within your home!

https://sloclimatecoalition.org/househo … emissions/

There are  profound ways in which students can adopt the following to help to reduce their carbon footprint. One of the ways of converting it is through the transformation of physical resources to digital resources for academic work. For instance: Instead of re-printing out numerous drafts of a potential dissertation students can use online platforms and services. Instructors who require assistance to complete their work can easily look for services and get quality services while remaining environmentally friendly. Students also save trees when they use computers as they replaced the drain of energy and cutting down trees during the writing process.

I greatly agree with this statement. replacing physical resources to digital resources really could make a difference with reducing our carbon footprint by not using certain physical sources, like papers and such. Considering paper is more cheap than digital devices, do you think money could be a roadblock to this carbon footprint solution, considering some countries may not have the money to provide these digital resources? as stated in many sources, some countries do not provide money for education, like Comoros, where education spending is around 2.4% of the total GDP. In addition, At my old school, we could not afford enough computers for every class, resulting to most of our work being done on paper. Your idea displayed can definitely help many schools and students around the world reduce their carbon footprints, but I do think money could be a big factor between whether certain schools and students can or cannot switch to this decision.

source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/25-count … otal%20GDP.

I agree, I notice that a majority of paper in classrooms comes from the mandate of notebooks, rather than online documents. I wonder how much of a difference using technology would make? I understand that it can be difficult to implement this in classrooms, because technology comes with distraction. I am curious as to how this might be solved. Technology can have a negative impact itself, and as stated above is quite costly. Is there a way to make technology more accessible, and more carbon and hydrogen efficient?

Hi marywalker! I think that that is a good idea, however using electronics also negatively impacts as devices like computers are commonly left on or plugged in for hours/days. Not only this but it’s challenging for some students to have access to computers outside of the classroom. However, reducing the use of paper would definitely help with cleaner air as it would save several trees.

Hi, my name is Ainara aand I'm from Dénia, Spain.

My home carbon footprint is way above average. What can I do to lower it?? I think it's because I'm always with the lights on during the day and I keep the fan on during summer all day and night long. I also keep my phone charging all night and sometimes I forget to unplug it. Talking about digital devices, I believe the main problem is that I keep my PC on during at least 12 ours even if I'm not using it out of laziness to turn it back on. Maybe I can also take less time showers to save water too.
I think that's basically the reason my home carbon footprint is that high and that I need to take more care about my actions with my digital devices

hey ainara! i totally get it, my carbon footprint was high too. honestly those things you mentioned add up so much. like keeping the PC on for 12 hours is probably the biggest thing - maybe try shutting it down when you're not using it? i know it's annoying to turn it back on but it really makes a difference. also unplugging your phone charger in the morning helps, and turning off lights during the day when there's sunlight. for showers maybe try keeping them under 10 minutes? i forget sometimes too lol. the fan thing is tough in summer but maybe use it only when you're actually in the room? good luck lowering it

Hello Ainara! I really get you with the fan I live in Florida which is a very hot state and I constantly have my fan on during the summer. Which I mean isn't good for your footprint but I don't want to melt from the heat. What you could do though to lower your carbon footprint is turn off your lights during the day and unplug your chargers when not using it. Especially your PC I think you should power that off when your not using it. Good luck on lowering your carbon footprint!

Hey Ainara! I hope you are doing well! I get you on your carbon footprint being higher than average since mine is as well. It does make sense though since everything you do is a lot. You could turn off your lights when you aren't using them, also you could switch to energy efficient LEDs which would help a lot in the long run. For your phone, you could charge it for a good while when you aren't using it during the day and than unplug it before you sleep. Your PC is definitely a huge reason though, you should definitely turn it off when you aren't using it. I get the laziness part but you can turn it on again before using so you won't have to wait long.

Hello Ainara, one way I would recommend lowering your footprint at home would be to count how long you are using water. I myself have started counting and have seen my water usage time go down more and more.Another way that I can recommend to lower your carbon footprint while at home is too keep a window cracked or open during the day instead of using a fan. This can help lower the amount of energy you use from your fan since you tend to keep it on all day.These small Ideas can help your footprint go down and hopefully make you feel better about your energy and water usage.

Hi Ainara! Your post was really insightful and relatable. I often keep my PC on or TV on longer than I should. One thing you could do and that I could do as well is try to build a routine for turning off technology. In a world of technology and increasing emissions it’s a good first step to think about our devices.

Hi Ainara! I completely get using the fan all day and all night, but what has really helped me is getting cooling blankets or pillows. They are breathable, yet comfortable. This could help to limit fan usage. I would also make it a habit to turn off the PC when you aren’t using it. Along with that I would invest in some nice candles and battery powered fairy lights to lower your carbon footprint in the evening. This has not only helped me lower it, but has also helped my body adjust to a sleep/wined down schedule in order to get better sleep because of the mood lighting. Good luck!

My carbon footprint could be lowered dramatically by being more environmentally conscious and less wasteful at home. Lots of energy gets wasted through air conditioning, lights being left on, unnecessarily long showers, and many electronics running simultaneously. Carbon emissions could be reduced by replacing lights, improving insulation, and using less hot water
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reduc … nt-at-home

My total footprint is 8,690 kgs of CO2 per year. With home being the cause of 5003 kgs. Food being 1885 kgs, purchases being 656 kgs, and transportation being 1,146 kgs. Ways to reduce my carbon footprint would be to recycle more, and reduce my AC usage. Another way would be to increase my energy efficiency as a whole at home.
https://www.green.earth/blog/10-easy-wa … -footprint

Discovering my carbon footprint was an eye-opening experience. I was shocked when I saw that the average carbon footprint for not only California but the U.S.A as a country is so high. It makes sense, seeing how rapidly and dramatically climate change is progressing, but it was still astounding to see. Few countries have a higher footprint than the US. I was honestly surprised by my own carbon footprint. I was worried it’d be higher, but I still hoped it’d be lower. Mine was 6,279kg. I’m hoping to bring that down one day. Does anyone have any advice on how to bring that footprint down, as a student? I'm thinking about trying to walk more places instead of being driven. I'm open to anything else that would make a bigger difference, all suggestions welcome!

I think that something everyone can do is cut down on spending money on unnecessary products, or they can buy locally. If you buy a lot of new things online, it can create a large carbon footprint from shipping across seas (because everything is made in China now). Also, you can eat less meat, because high protein diets require more livestock farming.

It is good that your carbon footprint is a lot lower than the U.S. average of about 9,500 kgs, but I have some ideas to lower your footprint even more. For one, you can make sure to always turn off the lights when you are not using them, since that probably is a big impact on your CO2 levels. Another thing you can do is unplugging your devices, like phones, tablets, etc, when they are fully charged, because it wastes electricity. A final thing you can do is recycling more things. Just throwing away recyclable things just wastes them, as they can be used again. Hope this helped

Hello my name is Albert and I have doubled the CO2 statistic because I have taken the plane and that goes up a lot. I have also tripled the world championship.iikjkj9bnjnl

Hello Albert, CO2 emissions from planes are pretty insane, but it's one of those things that we might have to take to travel - no other way perhaps. In the U.S, we could take a train, but that probably wouldn't be as easy or feasible since infrastructure wouldn't be there to support it or really degraded and unsafe, depending on where you live in the U.S. So taking a plane might be the best option until there are better opportunities in the U.S to travel cross-country or multiple states.

Hi Albert! My CO2 emissions also went up drastically while taking the test because of a trip that I took last year, with various long flights. While I'm not proud of it, I know I cant undo it. I find it really sad that we as people that live on this planet as of right now, don't pay attention to our environment as much as we should. I propose that we as humankind make it a societal norm to reduce the amount of transportation that produces great amounts of CO2.

Hi, my name is Yasmine. My carbon footprint is very low thanks to walking almost all the time. Although my home is my biggest contributor, I can improve by using LED lights and taking shorter showers, and I'll also focus on reducing my meat consumption. My figures demonstrate a very sustainable lifestyle that's well below average. In my opinion, I think I'm doing a great job compared to my country´s footprint.

Hello Yasmine,
That's good to hear that you are doing a great job with your carbon footprint, especially walking to where you need to go. Compared to my carbon footprint, mine is just below the average in my area in Florida, U.S. My main source is transportation and electricity usage in my home. I live in a rural area in Florida, so walking to places would be unfeasible and public transportation isn't really common in U.S unless you live in a big city (but even that is pretty much nonexistent). For electricity in my home, I do a decent job of turning lights off when not in use or unplugging devices, but I could change my bulbs to be LED rather than CFL to help offset that usage.

Hi Yasmine! I really like how proactive you are about reducing your carbon footprint. Walking instead of driving is such a great habit, and it’s awesome that you’re focusing on ways to make your lifestyle even more sustainable. I’ve been trying to do the same by driving less, turning off lights when they aren’t needed, and only using water when it’s necessary. I’ve also started cutting back on my shower time to save more water and energy. I agree that small daily changes can really make a big difference over time. You’re definitely setting a great example keep it up!

Hey Yasmin!
Congratulations on the carbon footprint. That's really impressive! I'm trying to get like you, lowering my footprint as best I can. I'll definitely take your advice and try to follow in your example. Walking is good. Walking is better than driving! Gotta turn those lights off too. Good job Yasmin!

After calculating my carbon footprint, I discovered that my transportation emissions alone total approximately 8,720 kilograms of CO₂ per year. Gasoline combustion releases carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years, increasing atmospheric CO₂ and intensifying the greenhouse effect. To reduce my footprint, I plan to walk or bike to nearby destinations, carpool with others, and support renewable transportation initiatives. Comparing my footprint with students in other countries highlights the role of infrastructure, such as public transit, in reducing emissions. This project demonstrates that individual behavior and systemic changes together shape environmental outcomes.

After completing the carbon-footprint calculator, I learned that my total footprint is 58,312 kg of CO₂ per year, which is significantly higher than both my regional average and the global sustainable goal of 1,000 kg per person. Most of my emissions come from the home and transportation categories, so these are the areas I want to focus on improving the most.

1. Reducing Home Energy Use

My home footprint was 46,969 kg, which is much higher than average. To reduce this, I plan to:

Use energy-efficient LED lightbulbs

Unplug electronics when I’m not using them

Wash clothes in cold water and air-dry when possible

Adjust my thermostat a few degrees to use less heating and cooling

Run full loads in the dishwasher and laundry

Resources like EnergyStar.gov and EPA.gov/energy offer helpful tips for lowering energy use.

2. Making More Sustainable Transportation Choices

Transportation was another major contributor at 8,798 kg. To help reduce this number, I want to:

Carpool with classmates or friends

Combine errands into one trip instead of multiple

Walk or bike for short distances

Consider using public transportation when available

The website SmartWay (epa.gov/smartway) provides guidance on cleaner transportation options.

3. Making Sustainable Food & Shopping Choices

My food emissions were 1,982 kg, and purchases were 563 kg. Even though these categories aren’t as high, there are still changes I can make:

Buying more local foods when possible

Eating fewer ultra-processed foods

Choosing secondhand clothing instead of fast fashion

Avoiding unnecessary impulse purchases

Websites like EatLowerCarbon.org and GoodOnYou.eco offer great tools for choosing more sustainable food and clothing options.

4. Becoming More Aware of My Daily Habits

One big takeaway from my results is that small, consistent changes can make a meaningful difference. I plan to keep tracking my habits and make gradual shifts toward sustainability. The United Nations ActNow Climate Campaign (un.org/actnow) has simple, everyday ideas anyone can start using immediately.

Overall, this footprint calculator helped me see exactly where my impact is highest and how I can take practical steps to reduce it. I’m committed to making changes that not only lower my own footprint but also support a healthier planet for the future.

Hi everyone,
Recently, I have been trying to reduce my carbon footprint because I believe small actions can make a big difference.
I started by using my bike instead of a car whenever possible, recycling more carefully, and saving energy at home.
Also, I try to eat less meat and buy local products to support sustainable farming.
It is not always easy, but I think it's important for our future.
What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Hi Ivan122! I really admire what you are doing to try and reduce your carbon footprint! I try to practice a lot of those things at home too, because not only do they help reduce your carbon footprint but they also help keep you healthy. I agree that we should do whatever we can to help our environment and protect it for the future. Another thing that I really try to do is think about my water consumption and heating use. A long hot shower is really relaxing but it also takes a lot more energy to heat all that water for such a long period of time. In my day-to-day life, I personally find that I don’t mind taking shorter showers so that is something I try to do! I really enjoyed hearing someone else’s ideas on ways to reduce our carbon footprints.

Hi Ivan! I like how you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint by biking more and saving energy in you home. I have also been trying to cut down on eating meat, although my attempts have only partially been successful. After calculating my carbon footprint, I noticed that my transportation is way above the average. Although I do like traveling, I realize I should cut down on it and maybe stick to local trips to do. I live close to many good hiking trails so I'm thinking about exploring there instead. I would also love to bike more. I think your choice about biking instead of driving a car is a really great idea I could also implement where I live. Thank you for sharing your ideas to reduce your carbon footprint!

Hey Ivan! I hope you are doing well. I agree with you that the small actions do make a huge difference. Going to places in a bike whenever you are able to is a great way to lower your carbon footprint. One way that you could also lower your carbon footprint is to take shorter showers and not long ones. You could also donate your old clothes if you do not need them. Another thing you could do is eat less meat and go with more vegetables, fruits, and beans and grains. You could also reduce your food waste. These are some ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Hey Ivan! It's great to hear all the things you are doing to better the planet. I've been working towards changing to help the environment as well. Things like turning the lights off when they aren't needed, not taking long showers, and driving only when necessary. Those are some of the ways I am trying to better the environment and I think they are a good way for anyone to start.

Hey Ivan! I really like the steps you’re taking—especially biking more and buying local. I agree that small actions add up over time. To reduce my carbon footprint, I try to combine errands into one trip, turn off lights and unplug chargers when I’m not using them, and choose reusable items like water bottles and bags instead of single-use plastics. I’ve also been more mindful about my clothing purchases and try to buy fewer “fast fashion” items. Your post is a good reminder that even if it isn’t always easy, these choices really do matter for our future.

There are many ways to reduce carbon footprint, but it is especially easier for students. Students can walk or ride a bike to school instead of getting their parents to drive them. Carpool is also another option, but not as good as walking or riding a bike or scooter to school. We can use less air conditioning and heating in our house, and instead of heating we can use more blankets.

My carbon footprint made me realize that the small things I do add up and end up harming me and the environment, because I usually leave the television on time from time even when i'm not watching it, and I usually end up charging my phone for too long because I forget about it when playing sports, to prevent this I could take my time watching a show and when I am done using the television I could turn it off and do something else, and for charging my phone I will charge it before starting a game or after the game because I don’t use it when playing.

There are many ways I could reduce my carbon footprint. I could drive only when necessary and substituting it for more environmentally friendly ways of transport. I could reduce my food waste and compost. As well as using solar energy.

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Featured-Sto … -Footprint

Here are some ways you can help reduce your carbon footprint is by carpooling to work or school with someone to use less emissions. You can also cut down on air conditioning in your car and at home and eat less meat and stick with fruits and veggies. You could even Reduce how much food you throw away. Start using more reusable cups, plastic, and other reusable goods. You can even take less showers and when you're not using any electronics you should unplug them. Donating your old clothes to a thrift store could help someone who needs them while keeping items out of landfills. Even using your voice and spreading awareness on this topic will help others to reduce their carbon footprint.

https://www.constellation.com/energy-10 … print.html

This article helps shows reducing carbon footprint in small but meaningful ways. Like riding your bike to work or school which helps cut down emissions. Eating more vegetables and fruits from the local supermarket. Trade clothes with your friends or you can even buy clothes at a thrift store. You can even reduce how much meat you eat and eat more of your vegetables and fruits.

https://www.pawprint.eco/eco-blog/creat … -footprint

My carbon foot print made me realizes that I could cut back on somethings like recycling.My mom and I do recycle quite a bit but we could also have a separate compost bin to help reduce waist.I could also cut back on buying clothes, though I think I'm doing well because when I buy new clothes we go to goodwill and give my clothes away.

Me too, Pickles. We need to be doing more to bring it down. What we have isn't enough. We must work harder. We gotta join the low carbon footprints club. Starting now.

My total footprint is 17,441 kgs of CO2 per year. The average is 13,115 kgs of CO2 per year. My total footprint is greater than what the average is and that is due to the high usage of lights in my house. For my home, my total is 11,324kgs compared to the region average which is 5,065 kgs. I believe this is due to the high usage of lights which can be reduced of fixed. A way to reduce the high usage of lights in my house is to turn them off when they aren't being used. Another way would be to use energy-efficient LEDs since they use significantly less electricity to produce the same amount of light, they last for a longer period of them , and are better for the environment.
https://www.ledlightingsupply.com/blog/ … -pollution
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/led-lighting

My Carbon footprint is technically smaller than a lot of people, but it might be inaccurate. Also, my parents are divorced, so they live in two houses, one solar and one gas, so what should I do for some of the measurements? Also, I learned that since I live far away from my school and have to drive there every day, that plays a big part in my carbon emissions. However, I don't have a choice since the school I go to offers the best education for me. What should I do to cut down on my carbon emissions?

I ran the carbon footprint calculation, and in doing so I realized that my family's travel habits cause an enormous amount of carbon to be released. When calculated, my footprint was 13 Metric tonnes, which was shocking to me until I realized that 5 tonnes were a result of aeroplane travels to my family in eastern Europe. A simple flight to and from Romania accounted for a large amount of carbon pollution. This has lead me to realize that travel is a lot more costly than just a plane ticket. The solution for this cost is simple, more investment into companies that work to develop and manufacture electric or sustainably powered aeroplanes.

An easy way that one can reduce their carbon footprint is by reducing the amount of transportation by a car. Many of us go to the same place or pass the same place by ourselves so instead of doing that, we could go to these places in groups and if we don't want to go in groups and one has the time, one could walk or bike to their destination. Buses produce less C02 emission than cars so it would help a lot to travel in groups in buses.
https://www.c2es.org/content/reducing-y … footprint/

My carbon footprint is 15,605 kgs of CO2 per year which is higher than the average of 13,115 kgs for Florida, United States, and 3791 kg (= 8358 lb) worldwide. I think even though my carbon footprint is above average its still very good, I could still help by keeping my led lights off, use it only every once in a while or even only at night.

If you want to reduce your footprint I highly recommend investing in a smart thermostat. Regular Thermostats just maintain a constant temperature. But, a smart thermostat learns your daily routine and adjust the temperature, turning it off if your home or not. This is something that you cant do with a regular thermostat and honestly despite its initial expense it will save you money in the long run. https://www.armstrongairinc.com/blog/20 … nservation.

My transportation carbon footprint is nearly double the average of the average person living in the State of California (4,735 kgs vs. 2,557 kgs). The main cause for this is my daily commute to school and my extracurricular activities, usually totaling around 60 miles a day through sometimes heavy traffic. While I can try to purchase a more fuel-efficient car (such as a PHEV), there’s not much I can do to stop this. However, what I believe will amend my (and many other people’s) excessive carbon footprint are more compact, efficient cities with more public transportation, as public transportation uses much less energy per person transported than cars on a motorway.

Hello my name is Maria.
My footprint has been quite good except the increase in the home.I think I can reduce them using less light and less water or some thing like that.In transport I have it quite reduced since I almost always walk to plces except on occasion.Food has gone a little from the footprint of Spain but it is not very high an finally the shopping.

Hi I'm Laura Arhire and I live in Denia, Spain My carbon footprint is lower than the average in Spain but I do exceed the world average. What I think is what pollutes the most is when I use the laptor, because I use it almost all day to do my schoolwork. And I almost always have the computer charging. What you would have to do is charge it after removing the charger. This is how I would be able to reduce my carbon footprint.

Hello, I'm Mario, I live in Dénia and I'm going to show you my carbon footprint per year, first at home 4545kg per year, second food 2395kg per year, third, purchases 133kg per year and finally transportation 489kg per year. What do you think I could do to reduce that percentage?

Hi, I’m Nicolas. I suggest trying for your home footprint to unplug electronics before turning yourself in for the night. For food, Having more local or seasonal dishes or buy groceries in bulk with reusable containers that can reduces the packaging waste associated with individually packaged items. For purchases, You can try repairing it instead of getting something new to replace it like a jacket or a bicycle. Finally your transportation,you can try walking for a change for closer places that you need to go and only drive If you think it's really far.

Hello Mario, my name is Mekennah! I see you already got some recommendations, but I wanted to throw in a couple more! for your home footprint, it is very easy to walk out of a room without turning off the light or shower a little extra longer because of stressful days. Trying to reduce those could really help lower your footprint. My footprint for food was a big one for me as well. What I figured might help me is trying my local farmers market and finding fruits and vegetables that are grown without a bunch of pesticides that are harmful to our environment. Lastly, the hardest one yet is transportation. It is so convenient to get in the car or on a plane and vacation or commute to work/school- however, maybe carpooling or minimizing vacation travel might help with that! Bet of luck!

I don't know if this could help you, but many of my friends grow vegetables and raise animals so I have started buying their produce, eggs and meat to reduce my carbon footprint.

My carbon footprint is 5,758 kg of CO₂ per year, a little lower than the average for Spain, which is 6,968 kg, although it is still higher than the global average. Looking at the results, what pollutes the most in my case is food and home. I think I could improve a few things to reduce my footprint. For example, at home I could turn off the lights more when I don't need them, use energy-saving light bulbs and not leave appliances plugged in. As for food, you could try to eat less meat, especially beef, and more local or seasonal products. I could also avoid so much plastic and buy only what I really need, because I have little in "shopping", but I could still improve it more. In transport I hardly pollute, so that's fine, but in general I would like to continue to lower my footprint and be more aware of the things I do in my day to day.

Hello Amalhadjaj! I also have a higher home footprint. I like how you suggested the energy-saving lightbulbs! I would have never thought of that. I use lights often in my house for many hours of the day and in multiple rooms because I have a kid who runs everywhere! Investing in the lightbulbs may really help my footprint! Another way to reduce your food, if you're open to suggestions, is shopping locally and looking for organic foods. Many grocery stores have great fruits and veggies; however, they often come from a place that uses so many pesticides that they have such a huge impact on our environment! Another note to add is I have just recently recycled all of my plastic Tupperware and changed to glass containers! They are also a lot easier to clean! I hope we both have success at lowering our carbon footprint!

My total transportation footprint is 14,280 kgs, which is 10,833 more than the average for the United States of Florida. I aim to reduce my footprint by driving less on the road or by finding lower-speed routes to take.

https://www.c2es.org/content/reducing-y … footprint/

Although it may be difficult to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, especially if the culture or society is very materialist, there are creative ways to reduce one's carbon footprint in small ways that can build up over time.

One could be more accepting of 'hand-me-downs' instead of heading to stores and purchasing new clothing; not everything has to be new to be wearable. If one has to buy something, it is better to purchase an item of clothing that is durable, and is able to last a long time.

Another way of reducing carbon footprint is to have a power strip so that every time electronics are not in use, simply switching off the power strip would immediately cease power to the electronics. This is much more efficient than manually pulling the plug of multiple electronics off of multiple wall outlets.

A last example of creative methods to reduce one's carbon footprint is the eco-friendly option of utilizing solar-powered cookers to cook one's food. No need to use the microwave or create long-burning fires to heat up a meal.

The first two ideas, plus more creative methods, can be found in this article: https://sustainability.wisc.edu/14-ways … footprint/

I-Pre-SJR State

I have reviewed my results from the carbon footprint assessment and found some areas that I should reflect on and improve. My total footprint is 5,312kg of CO2 per year, which is lower than the average in Spain (6,968 kg), but still higher than the world average (3,791 kg). My biggest expense comes from the household, with 2,635 kg, exceeding the regional average of 1,462 kg. This indicates that I should focus on reducing my energy consumption at home. On the other hand, my food footprint is 2,347 kg, lower than the regional average of 2,620 kg, but I can still improve with a more sustainable diet. In shopping, my footprint is quite low (328 kg) which is good, and in transport it is minimal with 2kg, which reflects my mobility habits.

Hi, I'm Alexandra, I live in Dénia and today I'm going to explain my footprint. In my region the average of the surer home is 1,462kgs, but mine is 1,110kgs since I do not usually turn on the air conditioning or heating. The average food is usually 2,620kgs, but mine is 1,078 because I don't usually eat as much as the others. The average shopping is 1001kgs and mine is 298kgs since I don't usually go shopping much and finally the transportation has an average of 1885gs, but mine is 862kgs because I only go by car to school, the rest I walk.

My carbon footprint was heavily impacted by my trip to europe and I know my family is going on many more vacations far away what can I do to reduce the impact those trips will have?

you cant so just enjoy your trip away from home and try new things while youre there

I have this same problem. Its very hard to reduce your carbon footprint from air travel as a kid but being mindful about it is already a major step in the right direction.

My carbon footprint was also extremely impacted by my trips. I think the best thing to do is to lower other other stuff like home or foods. I honestly know I'm going to go on more flights. So I'd enjoy the trips and lower using stuff at home that does impact climate change.

my footprint was also affected a lot by trips, so i will try to cut down on big trips

While doing my calculations, I noticed that a carnivore diet with four people produces a lot of CO2.

I agree that carnivore diets produces greater amounts of CO2 than a vegetarian or vegan diet. This is due to many things but one of the greatest contributors is the food needed to feed the animals that could have been used to just feed humans. Personally when driving past cow farms it highlights all of the resources needed to create meat.

I put that I wasn't a vegetarian and immediately got an extreme amount of C02 as well. I guess just one thing to help with C02 impacts would be to eat less meat or just eat smaller bits of it.

Rampant consumerism is a very large issue in the world today. Many people feel like they always need the newest and trendiest thing, but having those things does more harm than good. What we often don’t realize is that buying new products like clothes, makeup, and other commodities hurts our environment. Due to things like international shipping, the materials used to create the products, and how they were created, harmful gas emissions are driven up. Also, oftentimes these products are thrown away when the person feels like they don’t need them anymore, and because people don’t always dispose of their waste properly, thousands of tons of discarded products end up in landfills, creating a cycle of environmental harm that cannot be undone, unless people make large-scale changes to their consumer habits. These changes could be thrifting clothes more instead of shopping fast fashion, or choosing to shop from more eco-friendly brands.

So true ?

I was very surprised to see how high my carbon footprint was, especially from the amount of traveling I did. I think, in my general area the carbon footprint was so high because most of the people in my neighborhood leave their lights on in their house before they leave for the day, which usually means they'll be gone for several hours of the day. I also do this sometimes but I should stop to reduce my carbon footprint, I think other people can also stop doing things like leaving the water running and using their cars to travel places that are close to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

Many of us are probably used to eating meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products quite frequently, if not every day. What a lot of us don't know (or choose to ignore) is the horrors that go on inside the meat/animal product industry. The animals in them are subjected to short, tortuous lives, with many living cramped together and in inhumane conditions. In addition to all of that, it is horrible to the environment, with factory farming being one of the leading cause of greenhouse gases worldwide.Eating less meat could help to reduce our carbon emissions as a group effort, and would help the environment and the animals as well.

As a student who has lots of activities to do in and outside of school, I can’t always use public transportation. This is one of my personal reasons for my high carbon footprint, as I’m sure it is for many other students. A way for our cities to combat this is by making it more accessible. Instead of me having to walk a mile to the correct bus stop and then walking two more to get to where I need to be, it is majorly inconvenient. Also, when I have used public transportation to get to where I need to go, I am often late. If cities can implement a way to make more specific public transport, that would help this issue. I understand that this wouldn't be easy and is risky if people don’t end up using it, but with a good amount of promotion, it can work.

The fact that the carbon footprint survey asked us where we live got me thinking. Where should our actions and next steps be focused? Nobody can really help where they live, and I doubt that anyone is going to uproot their lives just to reduce their carbon footprint. And while humans leave a very large carbon footprint, I think reduction efforts should be focused in places that can implement those changes. It wouldn't make sense for us to focus our efforts in a rural countryside where everyone already lives frugally, but it also wouldn't make sense to pour all of the effort into a place like New York City that is already super industrialized. If we did that, we would be putting in a lot of effort without a lot of reward. Instead, if we focus on more suburban neighborhoods and towns, that amount of effort could really change things. I learned through my survey that most of my carbon footprint comes from transportation. I can't exactly help transportation because I can't drive and live in a big city, but for people who CAN help it, they should, not by completely cutting all individual transportation, but by giving a friend a ride to work, or taking the subway on Fridays. Stop focusing on the big picture. If you do that, you'll get tunnel vision. Focus on the little ways you can help and do everything you can. Not doing so is the same philosophy as saying "Oh, darn, I only have 45 minutes to work out today instead of an hour. I guess I'm better off just not working out at all." It's always better to do something, even if it's half-assed, because half-assing something is still doing it. So, focus on the little ways to reduce carbon footprint, and know that every little thing done has the potential to make a big difference.

After I completed the I2Sea carbon footprint calculator, I became more aware of the things I mindlessly do daily that really impact it. For the most part my carbon footprint was lower than the average in my area, but my transportation levels were a prominent outlier. I didn't expect them to be that high, but it makes sense since I recently took a big trip to Japan and Korea over my spring break that included a 11 hour plane ride one way. If it not were for that trip, I think the levels would have been lower. My home, food and purchase levels were drastically lower than the average. However, my purchases were ten times lower than the average calculations. So I think this calculator is pretty accurate since it separates the carbon footprint levels into sections or certain parts in our lives, but at the same time one thing like my trip can kinda throw it all off.

I believe that traveling is a great way to make connections and experience cultures all over the world. However, traveling is often bad for the environment, especially when done a lot. I propose that people should try to make the switch to electric vehicles instead of gasoline vehicles and they should try to be mindful of the environment when traveling.

Individuals should not be able to own private planes because carbon emissions from that are the highest and I don't want to discourage people from traveling because it is a good thing for culture but people could watch what they do in other countries and how they treat the environment

To me these two words are often merged into one word which is not right. Sometimes wants are even mistaken as needs. As a conservative person, it confuses me when people seem to buy things they want when it is really a waste of money. This belief that wants are a need are even fueling causes of climate change like fast fashion where people want to and buy the cheaply made products. If these clothes were really a need then we would go to places like thrift stores more often because they would sell the clothes we needed for much cheaper.

Instead of transportation we need to create communites that are more encourging to walking and biking. Though electric cars can solve part of the problem the main problem is how our communites are built to revolve around cars. My highest contributer to my carbon footprint was the transportation section this is since everyone relys on cars so much since not all communies have stores close to their communtiy so they need cars to drive to get basic nesesistys. A community centerd towards walking and biking would have all the nesary stores and food very close to or within the town. This would encourage peopel to walk since it would not be an imense amount of effort. As well as helping our planet biking and walking helps people loose weight inturn leading to a more healthy society.

Many people don’t realize that throwing away food also means wasting all the energy it took to grow, ship, and store it. When food ends up in landfills, it rots and releases methane—a gas that’s way worse for the environment than carbon dioxide. In the Article" Food Waste and Climate Footprint," I learned that if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S. and China. I started focusing on this in my everyday life, while doing this I learned that “best by” dates aren’t always accurate, so I don’t throw stuff out just because the label says so. Cutting food waste isn't a hard problem to fix it just means we have to be more aware.

Did  you know 28% of the U.S co2 emmisons come from transportation. Alot of people abuse their ablity to drive somewhere because it's more convient, and can get us from place to place faster, but as we know the earth is dying due to us. We learned in an edpuzzle in class that if we put the earth existents in a 24hour spectrum we've only been on the  earth for 4 seconds, and we've already caused thousands of animal to go exist, and ecosystems to be destroyed. The Industrial Revolution, became the power house to rise in greenhouse emmsions. and ever since the average global amount of co2 has increased drastically in the past 40 years. so instead getting car to go to the park, maybe you should run or ride bike, to save the eath step by step.

After finishing the carbon footprint survey, I had noticed that for food, I produced twice the normal amount of carbon. This was likely the case probably due to the fact that my diet was based around meat and lacked a healthy amount of vegetables. However, if you lack a healthy amount of meat, our energy will severely decrease causing us to feel tired and nauseous. Realizing that this is a problem, I wonder what would be a better alternative than just going vegetarian? After some time I had learned that tofu and beans produces less carbon then meat and have about the same amount of protein as meat. If enough people reduce their diet to beans and and tofu, the earths carbon can drastically go down by 25%. Although, are diets do not need to be restricted to only tofu and beans, we can have meat on certain occasions, but we should not have it every day if we want to reduce our carbon footprint.

With fast fashion brands becoming more apparent in the last decade, carbon emissions from clothing have significantly increased. Not only have more clothes been thrown in the landfill, but the higher demand for clothing to fit a specific trend has led to much higher carbon emissions. The increase in social media has promoted trends and fast fashion more than ever. Also, the process of making clothes and shipping them all around the world affects fashion companies' carbon footprints. According to the UN Environment Programme in a 2019 report, "the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions." This statistic highlights how the fashion industry is becoming a problem and has a very strong impact on the world's carbon footprint. Fast Fashion has added to the problem of the world's carbon footprint.

Throughout this questionnaire, I have answered questions about what my actions do to the environment. I thought that my biggest carbon emission would be due to transport, but it was not. The food emission was the biggest contribution, with the amount of 3,465 kgs. This makes me think about how much I eat, but also what I do with my food afterward. I saw that someone also had the same outcome. My one question is, if I need food as a student athlete, what can I do to lower my food emissions?

Looking deeper into the cause of my carbon footprint revealed how much the location of one’s community can affect their carbon usage. For example, living in the U.S. means long distance travel is extremely common as things are so far apart from one another. Flying for week long trips or even for single day trips happens with regularity all throughout the U.S., immensely increasing the country’s global footprint. Unlike some other nations, we don’t have a long distance travel alternative like a train, so people resort to flying, one of the highest producers of carbon in all technology. On a local level, simple things like being walking distance from your school can have a huge impact on your carbon footprint. Driving for your daily commute adds up, eventually making a big impact on carbon emissions into the atmosphere, so being smart with short distance transportation such as walking or biking, makes a big difference in the long run.

After using the I2sea carbon emissions calculator, I was pleased to find that my carbon footprint was below the average for most categories in California, except for transportation. This didn’t come as a surprise, but I was a bit confused because I don't ride in the car that often, I take the bus whenever I can, and I only went on one round trip by plane this year. I started to wonder what steps I could take to reduce my carbon emissions from flying. Is there a way to fly without burning fossil fuels and realseing harmful gasses into the environment? Additionally, the I2sea calculator prompted me to think more critically about what our school lunches consist of each day. Overall, the lunch program is pretty good; my school uses compostable plates in the main areas. However, many items are still wrapped in plastic. Even with the main food served on compostable plates, a lot of non-compostable trash is generated during lunch, and many people don’t properly sort their waste before disposing of it. This must be harmful to the environment, as the plastic can release harmful gases into the atmosphere.

I just measured my carbon footprint and was relieved that most of my results were below average in all categories. Something I noticed, however, was that while all of my other categories produced less that 700 kgs annually, my travel footprint was over 2000 kgs. My cars are electric and I hardly use anything else to travel, so I imagine most of this came from air travel--that is, the singular round trip flight I've taken in the past year. I knew air travel produced a lot of CO2, but that was even more than I thought. Are there cleaner ways to fly? Is that currently something that even exists?

After doing the carbon forum, I really realized how much our actions as students can contribute to climate change. Everyday choices like how we get to school, what we eat, or how much we rely on technology can add up to huge impacts. For example, using a car instead of biking or walking increases greenhouse gas emissions, while lots of energy is used for streaming or charging devices, contributing to our overall footprint. According to the i2sea data and resources, these choices affect not only our immediate environment but also global sea level rise. Personally, I’ve started making a few changes, like bringing a reusable water bottle to school. I am also trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat. These efforts might seem small, but they are the first steps in lowering my own environmental impact. As students, we need to be responsible to be more conscious of our daily habits. Tools like i2sea help us see the connection between our footprint and global consequences, motivating us to take more meaningful action.

My Household’s Carbon Footprint – Eye-Opening Transportation Impact

After calculating my household’s carbon footprint on the i2Sea website, I was surprised by how much higher my total emissions were compared to the average in my region. The biggest difference came from transportation. My household emitted 19,210 kg of CO₂ from transportation, while the regional average is only 2,557 kg. This gap is mainly due to frequent flying. My family took 46 flights, which alone added up to over 8,000 kg of CO₂.

In contrast, my household’s home energy use was 5,550 kg (compared to 3,757 kg regionally), and food emissions were slightly below average at 2,061 kg. Interestingly, my purchases were much lower than the regional average (268 kg vs. 1,191 kg), which might be because we try not to buy new clothes or electronics often.

This data really helped me see how certain choices — especially travel — can hugely affect the climate. I think it’s important to consider reducing air travel or using carbon offsets in the future. I learned that even if I try to be careful in some areas, one big category like transportation can outweigh all the rest.

This connects with what we’ve been learning about individual action and carbon footprints. According to climate science research, transportation is one of the leading sources of emissions globally, especially in high-income countries. It’s clear that personal choices — like flying less — can make a real difference.

While doing the calculations to know my total carbon dioxide, I found out that a high percent of emissions was from transportation. Now that I know this, i found alternatives to lower the transportation emissions. Some alternatives are using public transportation, carpooling and getting electric cars in the future. I think carpooling is such a great alternative. Not only do you gain friendship, but you actually reduce the carbon emissions because only one car is driven. What I also found out is that my calorie intake, and food production is extremely high. Is this because of the meat that I eat? What are ways I can reduce this?

Public transportation is less accessible because of all the roads and highways in Oakland. The whole city is designed for the use of cars which makes it harder to take buses or bikes, which benefits car companies. We should remove some of these unescessary roads and make more bus stops and train stations to preserve energy. Using more public transport will help prevent further air pollution.

I think this was a very interesting project to do to become more aware of my carbon footprint and small things that I can do to help the environment. It was similar to how we did the math project because it made me think more and still makes me think.

I believe that this exercise helped my put an accurate number towards my Carbon footprint. I was very surprised with my number. But i also believe that reforms like not selling plastic packaging in schools will help reduce our areas carbon footprint.

This questionnaire helped me realize how every aspect of my life produces carbon. Previously, I thought flights and heating/cooling systems contributed the most to my carbon footprint, but I was surprised to learn that food consumption was my biggest factor. I believe excessive carbon production is ingrained into our way of living as Americans. It would be difficult to live in an extremely carbon conservative way if it's normalized to produce a lot of carbon in our area.

I think as students we need to be more conscience of our carbon footprint. This is because of the negative effects caused by climate change and CO2 in the atmosphere. For example my largest producer of CO2 was travel so in the future I will be more conscience about where I go and try to carpool or use public transportation when posibile.

I'm surprised that things like yard work can contribute to a person's carbon footprint, I wasn't aware people took care of their yards so much that it would add to their footprint. I don't have a yard or a yard so it doesn't cross my mind. I also didn't know that front-loading washing machines can effect a person's footprint versus a top-loading one. I've only ever had front-loading ones and I didn't know there is that much of a difference.

As a student in a science class, I was surprised by how high the average carbon footprint for my area was. I believe that the reason why the carbon footprint was so high in my area is due to us relying on imports instead of growing food. For example, people who live off the land most likely have less of a carbon footprint because the food they eat is organic. Furthermore, it does not have to be flown or shipped in by plane or boat, which cuts the carbon released from transportation. I believe that students can inform their peers around them about the amount of extra carbon that is released because they are buying products that have to travel long distances to arrive in markets. In short, I believe that the footprint in my area was so high because it relies on imports, rather than growing food on its own. If my peers start growing more food, we can lower our carbon footprint and help the environment.

Students often do not think of their carbon and how much they are emitting. Students really feel that they are learning about climate change and global warming, and they often think about things that can help them, but never really take action. In today's activity, I learned how much food contributes to your carbon footprint. I was surprised that that was the biggest contributor to my carbon footprint, because I thought it was going to be transportation. Turns out, eating well and healthy can still cause carbon footprint, and the best way to stop it is to turn closer to plant proteins, and eat more natural things and if possible, even eat your own food that you produce through gardening and naturally farming.

The highest part of my carbon footprint was with my food spending.  I feel that this is because I eat a lot of foods that come in these plastic and cardboard containers, and I am increasing my carbon footprint by a significant amount.  To combat this, I can start to buy foods that are sold outside of boxes, and fewer snacks, to improve my efficiency.

To have a better understanding why your food spending is the largest part of your carbon footprint, it's not the plastic or cardboard containers but actually the meat. To be more specific it's all the land, energy, and the waste used/created by the livestock. If you want to decrease your food carbon footprint, you should buy less meat, not saying you should be completely vegan, but incorporate more veggies or less meat into your diet. You contribute to the problem as you spend more on meat, and the companies supplying are more likely to continue to supply more meat and increase the carbon release.

Hi there!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts—it's true that meat production has a big impact on the environment, and it's great that you pointed out how much land, energy, and waste it involves. You're absolutely right that reducing meat consumption, even a little, can make a real difference!

That said, your message came across a bit strongly. Some people might feel judged even if that wasn’t your intention. Maybe next time you could frame it in a more encouraging way—like suggesting simple swaps or sharing personal experiences. That way, it feels more like support than criticism, and people might be more open to change.

Still, I really appreciate the facts you shared—it’s super important to talk about these things!

When I submitted my carbon footprint I noticed that the "home" category was the highest. I think it's because I live in two homes - one with my mom and sister and then one with my dad and sister (same sister). There for, there are less people in my household for the same use of electricity and gas. Some things I could do to make my carbon footprint go down in the "home" category would be to turn off the heat at night, only use heat when it's really cold and a sweater won't fix it, turn off lights when I leave the room, take shorter showers, buy LED lights instead of incandecent light bulbs, and only run the dishwasher when it's full. I'm sure there are more, if anyone has suggestions please let me know!

Hi TeaganCR!

I really enjoyed reading your post, and it's great that you're aware of your environmental impact and already thinking about concrete steps to reduce it. It's smart that you noticed how living in two homes might increase your energy use, and you're already planning how to balance that out.

I’d just add that it might be helpful to look at the bigger picture—for example, how often you travel between those two homes and what kind of transportation you use, since that can also contribute a lot to your footprint. Also, instead of focusing only on electricity and heating, you might want to consider changes in your diet or your consumption habits. Those can often have a bigger impact than we expect!

In any case, it’s awesome that you're open to suggestions—keep it up!

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

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

For my personal carbon footprint I think it shows that I use a lot of hot water and it made my co2 go up by a lot. firstly I take showers longer than 15 mins and I use hot water when washing laundry in my house. But I'm going to try my hardest to take showers less than 15 mins and suggest to the people and my house to use warm water instead of hot or even cold. Something that made my co2 level go down is that my house hold recycles very well. I really encourage people that don't recycle to at least try doing more fit because its really important to our ecosystem and it doesn't take that long.

My carbon footprint is significantly lower than the average one in my state but a little higher than the world's average. I want to lower it because I want to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. My highest category of carbon emissions(?) is food, which is probably because I eat meat very often. I have no problem cutting down on that, so maybe that could be how I make a change.

Me too, I eat meat pretty often within a week for more protein. Although there are many alternitives we can switch to to still get the same amount of protein. Like Quinoa, peas and lentils all are very high in protein and are vegetarian. Food isnt the only thing keeping my carbon footprint high but also how often i leave my lights on. There are many times where i will turn my lights on in my room and walk away but forget to turn them off. So it does waste a lot of energy and increase my carbon footprint as well.

I was shocked when I saw my total carbon footprint because I didn't expect that I'm polluting so much. I was also shocked for my score at home becausse I'm trying to waste less. Usually at home I turn off the lights when I leave a room, I recycle and reuse items, I turn on the water only when I need it.

When i see mine i was shocked about it cause i didn't expect i do that much of polluting

Maybe you decompose foods that you don't eat.

I was shocked of how much carbon comes from meals and what you eat. Also when I checked at the end my food had the most carbon out of all of them.

plane flights can be a major role in your carbon footprint

I was very surprised to see my carbon footprint for purchases so low.

for me the only category that was really bad was transportation. but it was just bc I took a 16h flight from Germany to ca

Many flights over 3 hours can be a big reason peoples footprints are very high.

Transportation was the highest for me, mainly because I have to drive to everywhere I need to go.

You: 12,983 kgs
Average: 11,838

What can I change to lower my carbon admission.

Try turning things off when you aren't using them and walking, biking or using public transportation more.

You could turn the heat way down at night and use blankets instead.

My total footprint is 42,013kgs and the average is 21,237 kgs. My footprint is 3 times bigger than yours. My footprint is mostly in the home category, where's your's at?

My average carbon footprint was 18,856 kgs, and the average in Ohio is 21,237 kgs. However, I would like my footprint to be lower because most of it is in transportation, so I would try to ride my bike more.

My total footprint is 15,575kgs while the average is 21,237kg, shockingly, it's smaller than the average carbon footprint in my region, but most of my footprint is from my home.

My total footprint 37,058 and the average is 21,237. However, most of it comes from my house.

Looking at my home carbon footprint I realized it can definitely be reduced with it being almost 2000kgs over the average. One easy way to change it is to switch from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs it can save money and reduce CF. Another way is to wash clothes in cold water rather than hot reducing CO2 by 550 pounds and also is better for clothes making them less likely to shrink or fade.

More about lightbulbs from nps.gov:

If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs; the same as taking 6.3 million cars off the road. So, replace your incandescent bulbs with more efficient LEDs, which now come in all shapes and sizes. CFLs use a quarter of the energy incandescent lights use and last 20 times as long. Not only will you be reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but you will save money on your electric bills and light bulbs as well.

When doing this project I really felt my carbon footprint would be much higher than it actually was. I still want to do more though to continue bringing my carbon footprint down. One way I am going to is by trying to recycle and reuse items more often. I found some interesting sites that talk about how to reuse a lot of household items. But right now I am researching ways to reduce my carbon footprint. Here's a site I found interesting, https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/ … footprint/.

I also feel the same about my carbon footprint. Mine isn't so bad although I would love to lower it. Majority of my footprint comes from the home category. I feel like what can start doing is recycle and waste less. I don't waste much but I feel like what I don't eat that is organic material can go in a compost to give back to earth and help plants grow.

The results across the world were diverse in its own, however I think the majority of it depends on what's accessible to people. Transportation, for example, can be different for me than someone in the Netherlands. Where I am, there is not a prominent access to public transportations, so unfortunately my area relies on individual transportation. For people in other countries, it can be the complete opposite. While a conscious effort can always be made to cut down on personal transportation, such as carpooling, I believe these categories ultimately depend on what is accessible in different regions.

https://infrastructurereportcard.org/ca … 20transit.

I completely agree, while I may have buses where I live others don't. If accessibility because available in terms of buses then we could lower our carbon footprint significantly. The only problem is that we have to make the transportation method sustainable.

Planes are a huge contribution to carbon emissions. For me personally and my carbon footprint, my transportation segment was up to 13,626kg which is very high considering the average in my region is 2,557kg. I was below average in all the other categories but transportation is what seemed to trip me up. According to sierraclub.org, just 2 people in a fairly efficient (30 mpg) car generates lower emissions per person than the average plane. To put this into perspective, one gallon of gas produces 19.37 pounds of carbon dioxide, and one gallon of jet fuel produces 21.50 pounds. Although plane rides are sometimes inevitable and we cannot completely avoid them, it is important to sometimes think about alternative options to flying and really run through how much CO2 the plane you're onis emitting into the atmosphere.

Same

Agreed, Mine is really high for flights

My carbon footprint is about average, but I'm wondering how to cut down on my vacation footprint.

when renting a car on vacation, request on that uses less fuel, or don't even get a car and use public transport

I was better than other people until I entered the transportation. I fly a lot on airplanes, but I don't know how to reduce my carbon footprint. I can't stop taking fun vacations, and it is too far to drive.

I know right? My Co2 from traveling is literally off the charts, it just stretches on and on. Is there anything we can do?

My Co2 tracker was at the highest in the "Food" place, and I'm trying to cut back on the harmful things, but I agree, It's hard to figure out how we can help. My suggestion would be to bike or walk to school, even if it's a little far, or carpool so that there's less singular cars. Or, (If possible, I know we can't control this and some people have less money, this is a suggestion)

Sorry, my keyboard glitched and it cut off my message--- I meant "Or, (If possible, I know we can't control this and some people have less money, this is a suggestion) We could get electric cars for our families!" Sorry for the glitch, and again, this is just a suggestion. (Oh, wait, sorry, that typed weird, it sounded better in my head  :,|

Usually, flying does take up most of your carbon footprint, and it is hard to stop taking vacations, I agree with you Elias.

My family drives around a lot and I think we can stop it by using bikes to get to areas that do not require a car. Like we could use bikes and scooter to get around so we do not use a lot.We can  also try to recycle more so the trash we use does not end up in the ocean.

With me if you want to produce less carbon dioxide , you can turn off the light and any device if you not use it .Also I think eat well can make you produce less carbon dioxide.Our earth need help from us because the ice get hot and melt , this make the sea level go up .

My footprint is as follows:
Total: 10,559 kgs
Home: 4,190
Food: 3,451
Purchases: 320 kgs
Transportation: 2598 kgs
Any recommendations for reducing this?

Using less electricity in your house could lower your home admission.

I think you should only travel by bike. install some solar panels, and buy land to create a wind farm, these are both great resources for clean energy.

Thanks for the advice.

If you don't already, you could try to start a compost bin for your food scraps.

you can carpool or walk or make sure to turn off the lights after you are done with them. You can also take shorter showers.

As I reflect on my daily habits and lifestyle choices, I cannot ignore the fact that my carbon footprint is pretty high. From the amount of energy I consume to the transportation I use, I recognize that I am contributing to the negative effects of climate change. It is time for me to take responsibility and make changes to remediate this impact. I will commit to reducing my energy consumption, using public transportation or walking instead of driving when possible, and recycling as much as I can. It is essential that I acknowledge my role in this issue and take proactive steps to reduce my carbon footprint for the benefit of our planet and future generations.

I totally agree with you on reflecting on my own carbon footprint. I also feel a bit guilty for my carbon footprint being very high as well. I really like how you're self-aware and list ways to plan on changing it; I think that's very inspiring. I wonder how your experience in a different country varies from the experience with carbon footprints in the US?

Hi! I love how you are taking action for your high footprint! I wish I lived in an area that I could do the same but it is just not feasible for me to do so. I already help out with my footprint because I do recycle, but it is the transportation that is getting me.

That's a fantastic attitude man! You're right, we have to take responsibility for our footprints, even the smaller ones as it all makes a difference. We always have room for improvement so I'm sure that we all will be working on those areas of our lives that we can change to benefit our world.

Best of luck to you, Razvan. That is the first step that all of us as inhabitants of this beautiful planet must do if we want to see change for the better. We must admit to our mistakes and change and improve. If we all do that together, then there is still time to save the world.

I agree with you completely. In day to day life we all use our cars frequently and don’t recycle bear as much as we should. Due to this we are not benefiting our environment in any way. Also walking/biking is always a great way to get exercise and reduce your carbon footprint.

Congratulations, the dedication is the hardest part now. You have realized where you could to better now it is time to execute. I also see myself driving a lot or even just sitting in my car wasting gas and hurting the environment. I also will try to either car pool or ride a bike to somewhere that is close enough to ride to.

I love how you are able to realize a problem you are making and fix it that is very important to decreasing carbon emissions. I am sure after making these lifestyle changes that your carbon foot print will decrease greatly. I hope this path towards a more environmentally friendly lifestyle works out well for you.

Hello! I love the self awareness from your post. You could not be more right, if everyone could use that attitude we would start to see some real change in the world. It seems to insignificant to just try and live your life a little differently to make a difference in the world. If everyone thinks that it doesn't matter if they contribute in small ways where they can because not enough people care about it then no progress is made. All it takes is recognizing where you go wrong and what you can improve to start little by little.

I agree with everything you said about thinking about my carbon effect. I also feel bad that my carbon effect is so big. I like that you know yourself and have a plan for how you're going to change. That's very inspiring. I'm eager in learning how your experience with carbon footprints in another country is different from your experience in the US.

Very good that you know that you need to take action to reduce your carbon footprint. Keep up the mindset and you'll have that number down in no time.

This is a great way to see it! While one person making some changes in their methods won't save the whole planet, if enough people take action and work on their footprints, we will see a difference. It would be much better for our environment if more people carried the same mindset as you. Keep working on it!

It is very admirable to not only see you reflect on your impact, but take action too. To take initiative and change how you do something is something that I believe more people should do. It seems a lot of people nowadays expect scientists or researchers to simply find a solution to global warming but don’t actually see their how much their own actions mean, and how much of a difference it would make if they tried. It is very hard sometimes to recognize when you are doing something bad and then have to change your ways when you have grown accustomed to it. I myself have a high carbon footprint as well and this inspires me to make a change too.

It’s really cool that you are taking action to change your carbon footprint! All the things you mentioned are all really good ways to do so. I really like what you said about acknowledging your role too. I hope many more people choose to acknowledge their role so that we can slow or even stop climate change.

I understand I do have my fair share of contributing to this negative effect. I often try to recycle us as much as possible I also use public transportation to get home and school but I do notice I use a lot of electricity. I am almost always on my phone when I turn on the lights when it is not needed. My solution is to stop being on my phone and go outside  and pick up trash if I see some and stop wasting energy.

Hi Razvan,
I'm glad i'm not alone when it comes to my carbon footprint being higher than expected on things in my life i can easily work on not doing or using as much,your we'll both be helping our earth out a lot, We got this!

I am also ashamed that my carbon footprint is high but alas, with the conditions of living nowadays, it is impossible to stop using all of the stuff we need.

Hi Razvan,
I'm glad i'm not alone when it comes to my carbon footprint being higher than expected on things in my life i can easily work on not doing or using as much,your we'll both be helping our earth out a lot, We got this!

It's so gratifying to see someone reflecting on the consequences their habits have on the environment.
It's important that we all recognise our impact, every single step is essential for the well-being of the planet.

Your initiatives are all good ways to reduce your footprint, you are an example for all of us to follow.

I can completely understand where you are coming from! It's refreshing to see someone who sees the issue of their carbon footprint and wants to fix it. I think that a lot of people should be this way and try to help fix this issue of the large amount of carbon in their footprints. When I was calculating my carbon use, I realized that there are a lot of things I should try to cut back on to help lower my carbon use. I now often feel a bit guilty for the amount of carbon I use in my day-to-day life and I want to strive for a better environment and try to find myself in a good mindset set as you have shown. I wonder how my carbon use would be different if I had been more aware of carbon and why it's bad for our environment.

I am glad that you have seen the impact that us humans have on the world. Although many of us may think that other people will handle this problem it is truly up to us in order to better the world ourselves.I have also felt this way through seeing how much power I use to play video games or how many lights I leave on in the house and I have also devoted my mind to think more about how I can be more sustainable and better the earth. according to an article published by the European Youth Portal they suggest that we eat less meat and if your willing to give that up then I think that is a great way in order to lower your carbon footprint, this is something I have worked on aswell

This takes a lot for some people to admit. I often feel guilty as to my carbon intake as well, Personally i have been trying less but i still use a good amount. It is admirable though that you can admit this and really try to take bigger steps. While it is also important to do what you can its also important to remember the role big cooperations. One big step you can take to help with reducing carbon as well is spreading word of how much these corporations put out. Try spreading knowledge about it to your community, or getting people to sign petitions. These are some other steps you can take to help with our carbon footprint.

I definitely agree with your view on this and it opens my eyes to be more aware of my carbon footprint. Being able to own up to these issues at a young age is a skill many people don't have. When you are aware of it young, it will benefit everyone in the future. We are the generation that can make or break our earth. I found it very interesting that even thought you are in a different country than me, we have very similar experiences with our feelings toward this issue.

In my science and environment class, we have been learning about climate change and how we contribute to it. Based on the calculator my most above-average category was transportation. Because me and my family travel a lot by car, plane, and other ways we have gone above average. One thing we have done correctly is having an electric car. This helps to put less carbon in the air. Now that I know I have contributed to this problem more than others, I have to find better ways to bring it down. Things I have found that could help is traveling by things you need to move physically. Another category that was above average was food. During class, we found out that certain foods release more carbon than others, and those foods seem to be the ones I consume more. One of the strategies that was offered in class was to take a day out of the week to not eat those types of food to help contribute as much. Now that I am aware of how I harm and ways I can undo the harm and help, I will try to do better with the choices I choose in my daily life.

Over the past few classes, my class and I have learned about climate change and how our lifestyles contribute to the problem. As an assignment we took it upon ourselves to take a carbon footprint quiz. My carbon footprint was 6,269, which is under average of the region I live in. I learned that the average carbon input is 9,727kgs in California. Though my carbon input is low, I can easily change my eating habits to make it even lower. The amount of carbon it takes to process red meat is 36x the amount it takes to process poultry. If I make the switch from eating red meat to poultry, my carbon input will lower significantly. My family is very energy conservative, so I have gotten used to turning off the lights and stop the faucet when not in use. Another way I can reduce my input is by stop purchasing from fast fashion companies and start shopping at thrift stores. If everyone in the world could make a few changes in their life, the state of our climate could improve so much. I watched this video by Amanda Gorman who is a poet and activist, it really motivated me to make a difference in the world.

Over the past couple of days, I have learned about climate change and carbon emissions
in my science class. Using the Carbon Footprint calculator, I realized how much carbon
I emitted through travel. Travel has a lot of importance to my family, and I am very
blessed to be able to explore places around the world. But I realized how much my
carbon footprint increased after I inputted in my flights. The amount of carbon that
flights create made me reflect on how many people fly unconsciously, without knowing
how much carbon they emit. Though there isn't a more reduced way of travel for some
people, I hope we humans find a way to make travel more effective and sustainable. I
also realized that the home section of my calculated carbon footprint was high. This
is because my house is older and has older appliances that weren't considered harmful
when the house was built. With this knowledge, I thought about how many houses are as
old or older than mine in the U.S.. I then wondered what the difference in carbon
footprint is between older homes and newer homes. overall, I wonder how we will
approach this problem, and what solutions humans will create in the future.

Compared to the carbon footprint that the world needs in order to maintain a stable climate (1,000kgs per year) my own footprint is approximately 12 times as much. However, my total is only 1.3 times as much as the average Californian. My food was the highest of my carbon emissions with a total of 4,900kgs followed by transportation at 4,600kgs. There are many ways that I can reduce my food emissions. An example would be limiting or substituting my red meet consumption from my diet. I could also buy food locally from a farmers market to reduce the processing and shipping costs that use a lot of energy. As for transportation, I might need to take fewer long distance trips to cut down on my transportation emissions. Regarding home energy use, my family uses solar panels. However, there are a few things we can do to reduce our energy use. Improve insulation and keep the thermostat at a lower temperature in the winter, and a high temperature in the summer to save on energy. There are many excellent sources on global warming and the steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint. Two that I found especially useful are from "Sustainability at Georgetown University" and "AustinTexas.gov".

I can definitely relate to this for several reasons. First, my carbon footprint(13,034kgs) is about 34 percent higher than the average Californian(9,727kgs). I think this is mostly due to my high totals of transportation and food. Even though I take the bus to school regularly, I had many flights, which accounted for most of my transportation footprint. I could limit this by going on more road trips when I have the opportunity to. The reason for my food value is that I eat red meat in many of my meals and don't have many vegetarian meals. I could change this by keeping a close eye on the amount of red meat I can eat. Since my family has solar panels our house footprint is around the average amount but we can limit our use of the central AC and heating. We can limit this by utilizing our windows more often throughout the years.

After taking the carbon footprint test I was able to further analyze the negative impacts us humans including myself hold on the environment. Though my total carbon footprint number was only about 400 kgs more than my regions average, my carbon kgs for transportation were more than double my regions average. This made me realize truly the drastic emissions of carbon my transportation methods bring yearly to our atmosphere. Some ways I could minimize my transportation carbon emissions is walking or biking when I can, take public transportation more frequently, and carpooling. My food and purchases averages were reflected as more normal for my region, however, my Home carbon, surprisingly, was well below my region's average. I think this is the case since we use solar panels as our main energy source, which is highly renewable. Additionally, when we can we make sure to turn off all powered things, such as appliances, lights, and air conditioning/heating when we leave the house or are asleep. Overall, us humans are the most significant cause of these harsh climate change affects and are small habits that may seem insignificant are increasingly destroying our globe. A video that encompasses this idea thoroughly and accurately is one that we watched in my science class, "His Epic Message Will Make You Want to Save the World" by National Geographic on Youtube.