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Off the Table?

Are there aspects of your daily life that you know contribute to your carbon footprint but you are unwilling to compromise to change them? In other words, what about your life is “off the table” when it comes to carbon emissions? It's OK to admit it- we all have these cherished behaviors!




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Off the Table?

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arit   2025-07-01 06:32:46
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tivakc   2024-11-18 14:55:50 (Last post: 2025-05-18 22:53:24)
Flying

By far the largest impact to my carbon footprint was transportation, specifically flying. This is because I have family across the country that I visit twice a year, as well as I travelled to visit extended family across the world for the first time this year. This is a difficult decision for me, because while I care a lot about lowering my carbon footprint, I do not know if it is worth it to sacrifice seeing my family. Though my family does purchase carbon offsets to help mitigate the impact, I still feel bad about flying so much when I know it has such a huge negative impact. I think this is a difficult issue for people who live far away from their families, and I'm not sure what is the right thing to do.

TeaganCR   2024-11-18 15:15:25

Hi tivakc, I think what you are saying makes perfect sense; yes, it uses lots of carbon to fly places but it's also necessary if you want to stay in touch with your family. I also have family out of the country and in different Provences that I would not give up seeing just because of the environmental impact. There are so many other things I (and many others do) to reduce their carbon footprint. I believe it is up to the government and engineers to make flying more sustainable. The plane was a great invention at the time but now as the environment is at risk, it is time for a change, and unfortunately, as individuals, we can not make this change. However, we can write letters and campaign for a change.

LandonK   2025-05-18 15:20:16

I agree with what was said above as for me flying was the biggest part of my carbon footprint but it is off the table to change as i also have family on the other side of the country which makes them very hard to reach if not flying. I also agree with the fact that companies could find a way to make aircraft travel more carbon friendly as for lots of people not flying is impossible.

embaBOD   2025-05-18 20:26:27

This post really resonated at lot with me because transportation, and more specifically flying, is by far the aspect of my lifestyle that contributes the most to my carbon footprint. I deeply care about the environment, sustainability and my personal environmental impact, but I have family all across that country in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Alaska, Tennessee, Washington DC and Colorado and Minnesota. For reference, I live in California, and it is incredibly important for all the members of my family that we visit each other. Like tivakc, my family also purchases carbon offsets but that does not make up for environmental harm. I also think that TeaganCR has a really good point in saying that the government and engineers need to be addressing the environmental costs of flight but I also believe it is up the individuals to make other significant carbon footprint reducing changes in their lives such as eating less meat, especially if giving up flying is not an option.  Finally, I think in addition to the work that governments and those who design airplanes can do to make flight more sustainable, I strongly believe that we also need to hold the large airplane coperations accountable.

FLATBOD   2025-05-18 22:53:24

My carbon footprint was pretty average until it came to the transportation section, so I relate to this a lot! My carbon footprint escalated quickly when I put in all my flight information from the past year which made me feel a bit helpless. My family loves to travel which I am eternally grateful for, but I had no idea it was hurting our planet so much. It makes me sad to realize that experiencing different cultures, traditions, and new places comes with the price of destructive carbon emissions. I wonder if there are any other materials we could use to make planes fly but travel still safe and accessible?

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idontflush58   2024-11-19 21:33:23 (Last post: 2025-05-18 14:51:24)
Off the Table Decisions

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

MayaNorris72   2025-05-15 17:38:48

I agree with you as my family also lives all around the world so maintaining a average carbon footprint can be hard. It adds a lot to my footprint as my family travels at least once a month to keep in touch with loved ones. Keeping eco friendly on your trips is a smart touch and I can definitely start to incorporate that more in my travel.

CMBOD   2025-05-16 17:03:51

I relate to both of your experiences. While my extended family does live nearby, I do take some long-distance trips that add to my carbon footprint. Flying is a high environmental footprint activity, but studies say that some high impact activities, like major trips, are hard to completely stop doing (IPCC, 2022). Choosing to take non-stop flights and building green practice in travel, like you have done, are great methods of cutting that footprint down. It's more about finding a harmony between significant traveling and environmental consciousness. Both are important.

tydoBOD   2025-05-18 13:35:21

I also fly to visit my family who lives across the country, and it adds a significant amount to my carbon footprint. Unfortunately it is the only way to visit them besides driving, and I don't have the time to drive for four days to see them. I hope that the United States eventually develops an electric high speed rail system as that would help reduce air travel and carbon emissions a lot. I try to keep in mind how I can be eco-friendly while im traveling and on a trip. I always make sure to not over consume and to always bring a refillable water bottle instead of wasting plastic ones. I also think it is very interesting how rural Japan has no recycling system, yet the United States carbon emissions were almost five times Japan's carbon emissions in 2023 (2025, investopedia.com). I wonder what percent of people in Japan have access to recycling vs the United States.

DaThBOD   2025-05-18 14:51:24

Recently I have been flying out of state every year. Adding on to late my family does a lot of driving back and forth.  I the future I hope that the electric cars will help lower the carbon emissions.  I the U.S. around 28 percent of emissions come from transportation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.).  I wonder if in the future will scientist figure out a way to lower CO2 emissions

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Kinsey S   2023-11-02 20:05:14 (Last post: 2025-05-17 17:59:09)
Off the table

Something that I personally feel is off the table for me is getting rid of my electronic usage. While I recognize the negative effects of electronic usage, I personally feel that it is a necessity for me. Some reasons I use electronics are for schoolwork, communicating with my parents about where I need to be picked up, talking with friends, and even just for entertainment. While I do not believe in completely stop using it I do believe that cutting down my screen time would also be beneficial. Overall, I cannot promise to not use electronics, because I need them for daily tasks like homework, keeping up with friends, etc. I feel that while it may not be the best it is too big of a component of my life to completely get rid of.

abraBOD1   2025-05-15 18:49:00

I agree, it would definitely be very difficult for me to reduce my electronic usage since it is such a big aspect of my day to day life. I especially use my computer a lot for school work, and unfortunately it requires a lot of charging which takes up lots of energy. This is off the table because in modern society there is more advanced technology that has led to the manufacturing of more energy consuming devices that we all use. While my electrical usage took up a lot of my carbon footprint, it would be very difficult for me to reduce this, as its such a vital aspect of school life. I also use my devices a lot for entertainment and contacting my friends and family so it would be hard to give that up. However, I do think that I can try to reduce my screentime slightly in order to limit the amount of battery usage I have, so that way I'm not constantly using energy to charge my device.

OzscBOD   2025-05-17 17:59:09

I completely agree with this. It is so difficult to put aside electronics, especially because they are such a large part of everyday life now. Having to charge a computer, phone, and possibly other electronics take up a lot of energy, but reducing it is so hard because they are so necessary. I think for this reason getting rid of the electronics would be off the table, even though they do take up such a large part of my carbon footprint. However, I do think I can limit general phone usage and keep devices on low power mode when in use, so they won't need to be charged as often. Along with this, I can use the full extent of my device, only charging when necessary and not keeping things plugged in over night.

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zoemcqueen   2025-05-16 23:35:59
Fast Fashion Alternatives

Fast fashion is when companies make cheap clothes at a low quality to keep up with the latest trends. It contributes to waste and pollution in the environment, especially in countries where the clothing is being made. According to an article from National Geographic called "Talking to kids about fast fashion and the environment", the fashion industry is responsible for over 20% of global wastewater and 10% carbon emissions! This poses as a huge environmental justice problem because of how much harm it causes toward communities who suffer from the pollution. One way we can help combat these high emission rates is by thrifting! Thrifting helps to reduce waste as it gives clothes a second chance at being used/purchased instead of being sent to a landfill right away. I enjoy thrifting in Oakland because it's fun, cheap, and more sustainable for the planet. More teenagers should join me in thrifting instead of buying fast fashion.

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Bella43344567   2023-11-03 09:04:31 (Last post: 2025-05-15 17:29:10)
Off the table?

Personally  I don’t think i could truly live without electronics.For school work is has become such a necessary about half of my assignments are on the computer. Also for communication I use my phone to communicate with my parents when i'm away from them. When i need to talk to my teacher about something,but I don't have enough time to see them i use my computer and email them. I was raised being able to go on the internet and look up stuff if i didn't know it. Having electronics has kind of been a thing for me and I think adjusting to not having them would be almost impossible.

TeswBOD   2025-05-15 17:29:10

Hi Bella,

I completely agree with you. While it is disappointing, using electronics has become a integral part of almost everyones lives. In addition, in today's world there is really no way to get around using technology as a teenager, we use it for school work, talking to friends and family, and for so many more important things. This is why it is also an off the table for me, however I still would like to think about ways in which I could decrease the amount of screens I use per day. According to the CDC, "During July 2021 through December 2023, one-half of teenagers ages 12–17 had 4 hours or more of daily screen time (50.4%)" (Zablotsky). This statistic is so sad as using screens is not only bad for the enviorment but as well for our brains. While TV usage does not have quite as big of an environmental impact as many other activities, with about 21 million teenagers just in the US using over 4 hours a day of screen time, that energy consumption really adds up. I hope to be able to limit my screen time use going forward both for myself and for the enviorment. Is that something you would be interested in?

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Jesse Solis   2022-02-25 13:59:27 (Last post: 2025-05-15 16:51:12)
Off the table

One thing that Is "off the table" for me Is my phone I always listen to music when I'm doing my work like I am right now and I need It to find out If I am getting picked up after school or walking. I also to let my parents know where I'm at when I go hang with friends. And sometimes when I don't have my laptop for school I use my phone to turn In assignments that are due or to look something up. But I have to have to charge It a lot I also have a portable charger i keep with me because my phone die's fast but It also charges fast and It take my whole lunch brake for It to get to 40% witch is pretty good.

MaryamN   2023-11-03 11:16:35

I agree with you as I also am not willing to let go of electronics. They help me with many in my daily life in so many ways like communication with friends and family, listening to music, learning new topics, and more.

bpadulla0218   2024-02-02 10:44:11

I also agree! Using electronics can be really helpful as learning and communication tools, but I, and a lot of other people, are also very guilty of having them as our main source of entertainment.As I'm getting into sustainability and the effects of our carbon footprints, I believe this is something I need to change. So while cutting electronics out entirely is off the table, I think I should at least limit how much I use them.

santbuzz   2024-11-18 14:35:13

I for one agree that us as a population should limit our screen times so we can lower the power that goes to not life dependent appliances like showering and cooking but I also understand that using your phone can have heaps of great benefits for you like learning new things about how to be as eco-friendly as possible so there's pros and cons but I think its a good idea to be more mindful about how our screen time can affect the environment that is around us

ella223   2024-11-18 14:51:01

I mostly agree with you because i need my phone for school and communication with parents or friends. However, i think i could be on my phone less. There are times when i loose track of time watching mindless videos on TikTok or other time wasting apps. I’m not saying to never go on your phone or not go on those apps at all, i don’t think they are bad i just think as a society we don’t need to be spending as much time on them. Treat those apps as down time not an all the time thing.

PlebMasterNo6   2024-11-18 14:59:01

I agree that phone use is mostly off the table for example i need my phone to contact my parents sometimes and i think that phones are off the table for safety issues. But at the same time i think we can minimize our screen time and thus properly balance our own safety and minimizing carbon emissions. something personally off the table for me is driving, i wish i could change my driving significantly as it is a my main carbon emission source. But since my dad lives far away from my school it is necessary for me to drive a long way to get to school and other places too.

ADBOD2   2025-05-15 16:51:12

I agree because having a phone is very important if you are in an emergency or a disaster. Also, just for chilling at home, if you have nothing to do, you could learn information or build connections by texting friends. Having a phone can sometimes decrease depression or anxiety because of the number of options you have for doing stuff on your phone. Some examples of this could be watching sports games or doing the daily Wordle. Another good example of when you need your phone is if you are maybe lost in a forest, and you need to get back home, you could call someone or use GPS to find your way back. In conclusion, even though your phone is bad for the environment, it can be good to have for fun or emergencies.

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AnPiBOD   2025-05-15 13:20:16
Off the table - Transportation

For me transportation is off the table, although it was my highest contributor to carbon emission. I play for a high level soccer team that is around 45 minutes away and 30 miles away. When driving there most of the time I’m in an electric car and I carpool with one other teammate. Also, mostly the only plane rides I take are for my competitive soccer team and they are often shorter distances. Although these plane rides and travel may add up and release a lot of carbon emission, it is hard to cut this out as I already limit my vacation travel and travel to see family and it’s something I am very passionate about and find a lot of joy in. It is something that I am not willing to give up yet.

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EvBeBOD   2025-05-15 12:46:17
Off the Table - Flying

Transportation, particularly flying, was my largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. I wasn't very surprised about this because I frequently take trips to visit family out of state. However, I'm not willing to give up the opportunity to see family, so that will remain a large part of my CO2 emissions. I think that taking fewer trips to see family would drastically reduce my carbon emissions, but right now, that is not something I want to give up.

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MaMoBOD   2025-05-14 18:12:51
CO2 Contributors Often Off the Table in Modern Life - Technology

In modern life, there's lots of common behaviors that are necessary to modern everyday life. Such behaviors are difficult or even impossible to give up, despite how much they might contribute to CO2 levels around the world. For example, technology. Our cell phones and computers are vital to life today, as they are very often necessary to academic settings, social situations, and more. Everyone has one, and because of their importance to our lives and connections with others, we can't give them up. I'm not exempt from this either. I often use my devices for completing school assignments and listening to music. I need to do my assignments and I enjoy listening to music, so I can't give my devices up very easily. If people wanted to challenge the systemic integration of technology into our everyday lives or minimize the pollution caused by technology, they would need a large effort put forth by a large amount of some very determined people. It won't be easy, especially when a lot of people don't even care enough to do anything about it.

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Louisa Schwarm   2023-11-04 22:55:39 (Last post: 2024-11-18 15:13:59)
Off the table: Meat consumption

Something that I know contributes to my carbon footprint is my consumption of meat. However, I find myself unable to give it up. This is due to the valuable amounts of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that the human body acquires when you eat meat. I understand that it's bad for the environment because of the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Another reason that meat consumption is bad for the environment is because land used to raise animals loses water, soil, and trees while untreated waste pollutes streams and rivers. I believe something I could do to still eat meat but reduce my carbon footprint is got only eats meat two days a week at most. I currently eat meat 4-5 days a week and while I can't give it up entirely, I think that trying to reduce the amount of meals I eat with meat in them, by eating vegetarian or plant-based alternatives to meat, could help the environment.

frhfbhadksbc   2023-11-10 15:26:38

i think what your doing is honestly super good because i know that not every one can completly cut out meat from there diet. if every one ate meat only once or twice a week the green house gases being released would decrease by alot. though i dont completly agree with your first statment because you can acquire proteins and such from many other things that dont put the welfare of an animal down.

jaydo   2023-11-10 15:44:55

I think you cutting out some of the meats is great, but you can find other sources of finding protein for your diet. You wouldn’t have to fully give up meats and just have it a few times a week instead of cutting it off and finding different sources, though keeping the meat intake down keeps the green house gasses down a lot.

santbuzz   2024-11-18 14:27:00

I think that it is very good that you are cutting on your meat consumption to help the environment but I suggest instead of just cutting out all meat and animal products you could instead start trying new forms of protein and other source of nutrients like soy based forms of protein like tofu or eat other alternative meats like beyond beef that is made of plant based ingredients so you get the sources from meat but without the methane and co2 emissions so I think its a very good ting you should try it

Kyec   2024-11-18 15:13:59

I can totally relate to you Louisa! I'm in the exact same position where I fully understand the impacts that eating meat has on the environment and my carbon footprint but I also am not able to fully get rid of it. This is because of my culture and my family for we eat meat for at least 3 meals a day, and because I have eaten meat my whole life, abruptly getting rid of it can have many different negative effects on my body. Even though it is difficult for me to completely give up eating meat, I still try my best to reduce my meat consumption by eating more vegetarian meals and reducing my meat consumption to 1-2 meals a day or every other day and even less in the near future (like how you eat meat 4-5 days a week and are trying to reduce it to 2 days a week). I'm taking it slowly because there's times like dinner where I don't really get to choose what to eat as I eat dinner with my family, but I'm slowly convincing them to eat more vegetarian/vegan meals. Other ways that I try to reduce my meat consumption is alternatives like tofu. You can find many delicious no-meat recipes to make in replacement of your usual meat meals.

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sfr4   2024-11-18 14:36:35 (Last post: 2024-11-18 15:04:54)
off the table: meat eating

one thing that is off the table for me is eating meat. Even though i do realize meat is a crucial part of a lot of people’s diets and not an easy thing to give up, and i still think a lot of people aren’t aware of the serious affects meat has on our environment. The 1st thing i have to say about meat is how much land it takes to raise meat that is fully grown, one thing i’m not sure most of you know is that feeding someone who is vegan for a year takes only 1/6th of an acre of land while someone on a meat and dairy diet for a year uses 18 times that amount of land. i think this is a very scary statistic but also a very real one, raising meat does use a lot of land and meat eaters have to realize that. the 2nd thing i have to say about meat is how much methane cows produce, cows produce this methane through there farts, burps or poop, we contribute to this by eating cows considering how many are bred because of the demand we put on them meaning more of the methane they produce is going up into the atmosphere. i think it is a really good idea for people to consider eating less meat and dairy meals each week as it is a great way to help save our planet.

nora123   2024-11-18 15:00:15

Hi i think this is a great point and is honestly very informative, i did notice you put this under the “Off the Table” category and off the table means something you wouldn’t do. I agree completely and this reality is horrifying. I’m really considering cutting off on as much meat and dairy as possible for me.

sfr4   2024-11-18 15:04:54

hi, thank you so much i just noticed this, please disregard this message as i am going to put it in the right category soon.

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KPR#31   2024-11-18 14:32:01 (Last post: 2024-11-18 14:52:17)
Off the Table-Driving

I play a high level of hockey which requires me to drive to training 4 times a week as well I have games during the weekends, and sometimes I have to travel to rinks that are very far away and I have to go there on a team bus, for example a few weeks ago I had to play a team that is a 13 hour drive away from me not to mention tournaments as well. Basically hockey is such an important part of my life so for me driving is off the table.

RCSR   2024-11-18 14:52:17

I agree with KPR#31. I also have to drive a ton for my activities. I live really far from my school and have to drive about 80km for sports per week. It isn't great and I wish I could make some changes, but don't really think many other options are feasible. I've considered using public transit, but it would add an extra hour to hour and a half to my commute time, which isn't really an option when I only have about an hour and a half between school and sports. In short, I wish I could do something, but driving is really the only option

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RCSR   2024-11-18 14:42:04
Eating meat

I know eating meat and animal products are horrible for the environment, but it isn't really something I think I could give up. As an athlete, I think animal products are one of the best protein wise and for building muscle, but for example: it takes 3,000 litres of water to make a single burger. This is really bad for the environment and is definitely not sustainable, but personally think plant alternatives and beyond meat just cant really replace it.

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RCSR   2024-11-18 14:40:49
Eating meat

I know eating meat and animal products are horrible for the environment, but it isn't really something I think I could give up. As an athlete, I think animal products are one of the best protein wise and for building muscle, but for example: it takes 3,000 litres of water to make a single burger. This is really bad for the environment and is definitely not sustainable, but personally think plant alternatives and beyond meat just cant really replace it.

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RubyA   2023-11-10 15:25:11 (Last post: 2024-11-18 14:39:44)
Off The Table: Driving

After doing my calculations, the CO2 released from just driving came to 2271kg, only coming second to my meat-eating. I would like to bring that number down, but that wouldn't be feasible for me. I play hockey, so I have to drive around a lot, even going to rinks up to 3 hours away 2-3 times a week. Any other form of transportation wouldn't work for me, to take my bag on the bus or train would take up too much space and I would be afraid with the price of my gear to lose anything. Hockey is such a big part of my life and I'm not willing to give it up to bring down my transportation carbon footprint.

JuliusMichigan   2024-04-23 05:32:39

After going through the carbon footprint survey I have realized that my carbon footprint just from travel is insane. I can't control this as much since it is driving to baseball which is around 2 hours a day 4 times a week. Also, driving to games all the way across the country. There could be some ways to minimize this though like if we had an electric car we could save less on the C02 emissions from gas. The Department of Ecology says "Driving faster burns more fuel and emits more air pollutants. Accelerating gradually also burns less fuel. Getting a vehicle moving from a complete stop uses the most energy, so go easy on the accelerator. Try to anticipate the road ahead and avoid racing from red light to red light."(Melanie Foster). Doing this well taking long trips would be a very good start to making my travel safer for the environment. Another big issue that my family has is since we are always on the road we tend to have to waste lots of food because we are going out to eat all the time. Our always buying out. I also struggle with off the table with my consumption of meat since it is the main source of every meal I eat because I just enjoy the flavor so much and be I need the protein to be able to be able to perform my athletics at a high level. Some ways I could take this down by eating out less. Making meals that we can make in a hotel that is healthier to the economy like plant based foods. The United Nations says "Plant-based foods – such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, and lentils – generally use less energy, land, and water, and have lower greenhouse gas intensities than animal-based foods."(United Nations) Doing some of these steps could make a massive change in my carbon emission.

Mays.K!!!   2024-11-18 14:39:44

I agree with this because my transportation carbon footprint number is also the biggest contributor since I do activities four times a week that I drive to  and from which are really important to me. Although it is possible to take public transportation to and from my activity. So I will sometimes but it is just annoying after a long tiring day to have to walk to the bus then bus home so I usually drive the twenty minutes. So to bring my number down I’d want to do other things like bus to school in the mornings instead of taking my ride to my activities away.

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Hana f (canada)   2021-02-19 01:30:41 (Last post: 2024-11-18 14:29:20)
electricity usage

One thing that i struggle to limit myself with is definitely my electricity use. In this society especially, we rely on most of our entertainment, communication, and school and work resources online. Especially with our current world situation, i think i speak for a lot of us when i say i find myself turning to my phone or laptop quite a bit to spend free time or just to occupy myself. Although i do hope we can move more towards using solar energy/more eco friendly energy sources in general, i think its quite hard to cut down on my energy use at the moment.

keishaV   2021-02-19 11:01:25

I agree. Like you mentioned, my electricity usage has also gone up with our current situation. Most of my homework/learning happens online, and I have found myself spending free time on a device instead of spending time outdoors or meeting friends. Although personally limiting the usage of electricity is off the table. I am willing to charge my devices for less time (instead of all night) and completely turn it off when it is not used. I hope to slowly limit my time spent on energy sources and reduce my carbon footprint.

kierstinc (Canada)   2021-02-19 18:13:25

I agree. Before COVID, the majority of my time was spent going out either to go out with friends or to go to sports or any extracurricular activities. Now, we need to be extra careful when doing these activities, so I do spend a lot of time on the computer or my phone; sometimes for school and sometimes to catch up with some friends online. It is hard but I am trying to get better at not being on my phone/technology if I'm not doing homework or something productive.

AnthonyYan   2021-02-19 18:42:55

I agree wholeheartedly. Before the coronavirus my electricity usage was low but now it is increased significantly. Now I need to use it for schoolwork/class and for playing videogames. But I try to reduce my carbon footprint by removing my charger when I am not using it and turning off my lights when I am not in the room.

myajg (Canada)   2021-02-19 23:08:10

I agree. Before covid, I was just starting to think about how much electricity I used and now it's even worse. All my work is online and I find myself grabbing my device a lot more. Then whenever I finish doing my homework I usually go straight to another device because I feel like there is nothing else to do (coming from someone with a very short attention span). Obviously there are other things but I still need to find something that interests me.

ceterraw   2021-02-20 00:47:20

I also agree. I do not have many hobbies or I struggle to stick to any, so electronics such as my phone and laptop are what I use daily to cure boredom. I also have trouble when it comes to sleeping because I need for a show to be on in order for me to fall asleep, which I use my laptop for. I am trying to find hobbies to stick to but it is so hard, especially when my laptop is something I am already used to.

TarunKommoju   2021-10-08 17:22:28

I agree too. While my parents tell me to put the electronics away, I can't get myself to do it sometimes mainly when there is nothing there is to do.

Farah14   2021-10-08 18:21:05

My electronic use went up 100% because of our current situation. We depend on electronics for a lot of different things and also just use them for fun which I do a lot.

Inna. L   2021-10-08 20:46:04

While I agree that sometimes it is quite hard to get away from your phone or computer, I think we should move towards not only using solar panels, or eco friendly sources, but also start to have more social life as there is more and more opportunity now that covid is settling down a bit. Social life and just spending time with other people reflects a LOT on our development as ourselves and I think is is incredibly important that we can have that again.

Umut   2021-10-08 21:33:59

Personally speaking phone and computer charging is very little of our home energy usage, however it was much larger during distance learning. About 35% of energy usage relating to IT (data centers, communication networks, computer software, etc.) is from computers so this pandemic would have affected this a lot. It will be interesting to see how the rise in electric cars in the coming decades will affect global electricity usage.

587048   2023-11-05 18:20:14

I totally relate. I've been trying to regulate myself and my screen time lately, but it's kind of hard to do that when pretty much all my school work is on my laptop/phone.

folklore   2023-11-05 18:44:53

Using electricity is definitely a major concern because it’s one of the hardest things to cut out. The way our society is wired, especially after the effects of the pandemic, make it impossible to not use electricity. There is of course a simple solution; clean energy sources. Unfortunately not everyone has the money or access to solar panels, a windmill or something similar. It’s incredibly frustrating to know that there is a solution but so many people can’t use it because rich people refuse to let go of the energy sources they have invested in.

ashaw   2024-11-18 14:29:20

I definitely agree with this, energy is difficult to cut out in this society. We live in this world of heating, cooling and lighting, things we couldn't live without. Since we are trying to limit our paper use, we end up spending more time on phones or laptops to do homework, pay bills or check the news. There is no way to cut off our energy use completely, our world is not built for that. I think energy use should be on the table for something we can fix because there are solutions. Like as "folklore" said clean energy is one. But you can also try to limit your energy use now by putting on a sweater instead of turning the heat up and turning off lights when you leave a room.

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NiobeB   2022-11-16 16:04:50 (Last post: 2024-11-18 14:12:26)
eating animal products/meats

one thing that is off the table for me is eating meat.
personally, i eat meat/eggs quite often, and i am willing to bring that frequency down, but i dont every see myself being vegan or vegetarian. the reason why i couldnt is that 1, i do like the taste of eggs and meat, and enjoy eating it, 2 many meat substitutes like soy are growing on land that was rainforest, and was razed to plant soy,so i feel like its almost as bad? and 3 i am quite active, and i dont know how i could eat enough protein without animal products.
even though my family still eats meat we try not to eat beef that much, and we don't drink milk at all, so i would still say we are doing our part to reduce carbon emissions.

frhfbhadksbc   2023-11-14 23:02:34

i agree with your first reason and that is completly valid and that's your opinion. your second reason is not quite right because according to a statistic plant based diets use 75% less land then a normal diet so more meat is being grown on that land then soy ect. i am also very active and a really simple sustaitute is iron suplaments you just take a pill every other day and you will not be short on protien in the least. i think its really great that your limiting your meat and dairy though.

sfr4   2024-11-18 14:09:57

i completely agree with frhfbhadksbc, niobe b, your first point was very understandable and makes a lot of sense.
i do think though that your second point is not entirely true because a according to you can grow 37,000 lbs of vegetables in a year on the same amount of land you can grow only 375 lbs of meat. livestock growth is also responsible for 136 million acres of land being used worldwide. i think this really shows that eating dairy and eggs is worse for the environment then the soy substitutes. so please do more research before you say such blunt things. however i am glad you are willing to eat less meat meals and make a sacrifice for our environment.

sfr4   2024-11-18 14:12:26

(this is what i was supposed to say by the way) i completely agree with frhfbhadksbc, niobe b, your first point was very understandable and makes a lot of sense.
i do think though that your second point is not entirely true because a according to the conspiracy documentary you can grow 37,000 lbs of vegetables in a year on the same amount of land you can grow only 375 lbs of meat. livestock growth is also responsible for 136 million acres of land being used worldwide. i think this really shows that eating dairy and eggs is worse for the environment then the soy substitutes. so please do more research before you say such blunt things. however i am glad you are willing to eat less meat meals and make a sacrifice for our environment.

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Lizardd   2023-11-03 09:20:11 (Last post: 2024-05-12 23:49:22)
Not everything can be off of the table easily

Some things might not be able to be off of the table for some people, such as driving less, which is oftentimes beyond their control. Someone can’t always choose to drive less because of places that are essential, but might not be close enough to them to be reasonable to make a trip to as often as necessary. An example of somewhere that a person might need to travel to is their place of work. It’s necessary for some jobs to be far away from other things, such as an airport or military base. Also, there can sometimes not be reasonably priced living accommodations nearby, or none at all, which would cause them to have to have a longer commute to work everyday. Another thing that might cause a greater commute distance would be needing to go to a certain store, whether it be for prices, preference, or dietary needs.
An additional thing that might be uncompromisable to some people is limiting their electronic usage. In the modern world, electronic usage is oftentimes essential to most people’s day to day lives. They might be used for  entertainment, communication, work, education,  but oftentimes there is a lot of usage of electronics for the latter two which cannot be adjusted.
Overall, there would need to be a greater change than just people changing their habits, such as the availability of certain resources in shorter distances to all people, in order to decrease emissions caused by commute time. There would also need to be a change in the way that some people have work, education, communication, or entertainment, which isn’t always possible. An alternative solution to these problems might not be to restrict the amount of them that people do, but rather make driving and using electronics less harmful to the environment.

zomcBOD   2024-05-12 23:49:22

I completely agree. I live a thirty-minute drive away from school, which means I drive five hours total to get to and from school every week. And I can't exactly just not go to school to reduce my carbon emissions. However, I do carpool with two other students to reduce my carbon footprint, but that does not take away from the fact that I must drive to school every day. The electronic thing is additionally a valid point! In this day and age, I use my computer and phone every day. My electronics are how I communicate with others and get my schoolwork done. I can admit that I should probably spend less time on my phone for entertainment, but I do use it for school and to communicate every day. In addition, I think that computers are a much better alternative to paper. With the current rate of deforestation, I do not believe that using my computer is more detrimental than chopping down trees so I can do my Spanish homework.

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rcmq   2023-11-11 16:15:45 (Last post: 2024-05-12 21:56:22)
Off the table: Fireworks

Fireworks are very frequently used and in heavy, unhealthy amounts. Disneyland itself spends over $50 million on hundreds of thousands of fireworks every single year. Even if they stopped doing that, all over the world on Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, birthdays, weddings, ceremonies, and many more special occasions, fireworks are being used every single year. Have you noticed that gigantic cloud of smoke after the fireworks at an event? That's all the toxic smoke that pollutes the air we breathe. And that's just after a single event you attended. Fireworks contribute to combustion and release greenhouse gasses at the same time. Apart from that, much of the debris from used fireworks is not biodegradable and ends up being left on the ground as litter. A much safer and eco-friendly alternative to fireworks would be using paper confetti poppers or even cannons and blasters for celebrations.

Flynn Layton   2024-03-25 19:11:55

Wow, I never realized fireworks could be so harmful to the environment. Still, to conserve the fun and joy spent watching fireworks, we should instead focus on creating more easily accessible eco-friendly fireworks. Disney developed a soot-free firework that is much better for the environment than most. But, these are sure to be expensive and hard to come by, so if we can make these fireworks accessible and less expensive, then maybe we can enjoy a good fireworks experience. In the meantime, we don’t need to have fireworks on every occasion, big and small. Lastly, we can use alternatives such as laser shows, confetti poppers, and bubble machines.

Gillian French-Liu   2024-05-12 21:56:22

I completely agree, fireworks are often associated with celebration and joy but we often don't think about the environmental repercussions of them. On one hand, I have seen fireworks bring people together and inspire creativity, but I am also aware that they negatively affect the environment and our air quality. I often see people set off their own fireworks on big events such as the Fourth of July, when others nearby are doing the same thing. Along with finding more eco friendly firework alternatives, I think it would be beneficial to come together with large groups of people when setting off fireworks compared to small groups if there isn't an eco friendly alternative available. This way, the amount of fireworks being used is smaller and the times when we do see fireworks is more magical.

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Vera1016tang   2024-04-16 05:17:21
Off Table-electricity

It's impossible for humans now to suddenly stop using electricity and find other energy source and replace it. However, we can still try our best to stop wasting the unnecessarily used electricity.

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Anna.23.06   2022-03-01 00:39:45 (Last post: 2023-11-11 20:51:30)
Off the table

I am not willing to take my electronic device off the table because they are very important to me.
My phone is essential for communicating with friends and family.

Bwomacksjrstate   2022-03-03 17:23:28

I understand this feeling very well and I find it to be one of those things that would be very hard to stop using completely. While i don't think it is entirely impossible there are just to many pros like communicating with friends and family.

Samera.lopez   2022-03-04 23:21:40

I agree and understand how you feel because phones are kind of essential now and it's something we use every day now. There are a lot of things that are easier to do with phones and it's easier to connect with friends and family.

Heidiw   2022-03-18 06:19:45

I agree with this, since basically everyone now depends on the internet. Something to think about is limiting your tech uses.

cozrk   2022-03-19 21:18:17

I agree with what you're saying because I also use my electronics in my daily life. It is the easiest and fastest way to communicate with family.

tayakc   2022-11-16 15:24:44

I agree with you and I am also not willing to take my electronic device off the table. Phones, laptops, and other electronic devices are very useful for schoolwork and communicating in my everyday life. Even though they use electricity, they aren’t necessarily bad for the environment. Electronic devices can help save paper by doing schoolwork online instead of in a notebook. I do think that it’s still important to limit your device use for the sake of the environment. For example, you could play less video games and instead spend time playing sports outside.

APhelan   2023-10-30 10:49:29

I agree. Me personally... I don't use my phone all that much, I also don't talk to many people but what if i really had to? You can't really take something like a phone off the table because it is an important communication device. It could also be used in emergencies.

Ballista   2023-11-02 10:22:49

Everybody has made some really good points, needing phones for emergencies, communicating. The main reason being that phones have just become too central to our daily lives, we live in a society where we cannot live without many modern technologies, including phones.

samaarrq   2023-11-05 23:32:52

I agree that electronic communication can be important whether you are usng it to communicate with your family or friends. Phones can also be helpful for students, for example students can search up things they don’t know and learn new things. They can also use their phones to entertain themselves and have fun.

IsabelleS   2023-11-10 15:54:42

I agree with this because i use my phone for so many essential things. such as using it for directions, or contacting family that i don't see often or for family that lives far away. i also just feel safer walking alone when i have my phone, because it gives me the option to call for help if i need too. i also just enjoy being able to take pictures with it or look something up if i don't know the answer to things. I've also discovered many different things that i like from my phone, such as different types of music.

RubyA   2023-11-11 20:51:30

I agree with you, my phone has become an essential part of my life. I need my phone to communicate with family and friends. For sports, I use my phone to stay updated on when my games and practices are. At school, I often need my phone for activities like Kahoot, and Microsoft Teams has become essential to staying updated on homework, and is needed to communicate with teachers when away from school. My Phone is what keeps me connected to the world, through the news, through new music, and through learning new things. In our modern day, things are constantly changing, and phones are necessary to keep pace with these changes. I would not be able to give my phone up.

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Mark_C_MChavez   2023-11-03 11:25:04 (Last post: 2023-11-10 15:42:26)
Life complications

I'd say this is off the table. The amount of stuff we need to save time is inevitable and we can't change that. Time is one of the most valuable things in the world and we made the devices mentioned in the project to save our time to focus on other tasks. Examples are jobs, studying, other chores around the house, without the technology we have today we spend more time doing daily chores and less time to focus on important work or relaxing and getting a mental break. What I'm trying to say is, we can't stop using most of this technology or we will be wasting most of our time on chores.

frhfbhadksbc   2023-11-10 15:42:26

i agree with you that we wont give this tech up but we don't need it to survive. like even 50 years ago they didn't have half the technology we had and they still managed to do fine and survive without it, so why cant we do the same? But realistically we are never going to give it up so we just have to switch to cleaner alternatives and hopfully not become to relient on these things.

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123Keya   2023-11-03 15:25:13
Off the Table

One thing that I can see most people not taking off the table are gasoline powered cars. Over 95% of people in the U.S drive a gasoline powered car over an electric powered one, and this could be for several reasons. It could be because of price, as a 2023 electric car costs $5,000 more than a  2023 gas powered car ($53,469/$48,334). Or because people think it takes up more time to fuel an electric car than a gas car, because of the scarcity of charging stations around the country. Nonetheless, I don't think people would be willing to get rid of their transportation to places in order to improve their carbon footprint.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/source … -emissions
https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-much … t%20prices.
https://www.npr.org/2021/11/20/10557189 … ic%20fleet.

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