Students from around the world calculated their class mean and standard deviations for their footprints and posted them on our world map.
Do you see differences across the globe? If so, why do you think those differences exist?
Did you use the calculator to try to reduce your footprint down to the average from a citizen of another country? What changes would you have to make to lower your footprint in this way? Are you going to try and take some of these actions in your daily life?
Student Footprints >
How do you make your house more sustainable ?
One way is by turning lights off in rooms that you are not in
also you can turn off unneeded appliances to save energy and create a better environment
Yes. Turning off lights is a great way to save energy. Another way is to unplug electronic devices when not in use/charging. There are many more ways to make your house greener. The two that pop into my mind are solar panels and separating compost, recycling, and trash. Solar panels are a great sustainable way to use sun power. Also composting food instead of throwing it away will reduce our landfills. Recycling bottles will also make a difference. Trying to use less trash works too. Not only in your home but on the go, you can use reusable plastic containers to store food. There are many ways to help the environment.
Sustainable design encompasses much more than what goes on in a home, it includes even what the home is made of and how it is made. One aspect of sustainable design is passive solar design, in which houses are built in order to optimize the amount of sunlight that reaches the house and can heat and provide natural light for the house. This can be achieved by orienting most or all windows to be on the south facing side of the home. Another way to utilize passive solar design is by positioning the overhangs in a specific manner that allows the most sunlight through the windows at any given time of the day. More methods of sustainable architecture can include what the home is made of. Hemp, bamboo, and recycled materials can all result in a home with high thermal inertia and less need for constant heating or air conditioning use.