Many students using our footprint calculator said that they could not pledge to reduce their home footprints because they were not making the decisions for the household. Here is your chance to design your own sustainable virtual household!
If you had your own home, what would you do to make it more energy efficient? Where would you get your electricity from? Where would your house be? Would you live near to your school or work or local transit options? Where would you get your food from?
MY Family Footprint >
How Can We Reduce Carbon Footprints at Home?
I learned that most of my carbon emissions come from home energy and transportation. My footprint is 3,055 kg of CO₂ per year, which is lower than the average for California, but I still want to lower it. I think the easiest way to start is by using less electricity and turning off lights and electronics when not needed. Families can also switch to LED bulbs, use energy-efficient appliances, and adjust the thermostat to save energy. If more people made small changes at home, it could really help reduce total CO₂ levels.
(Source: ISCFC Calculator, 2024; EPA “Reducing Home Energy Use,” 2024)
Another thing we can do to lower carbon emissions at home is to turn off the water while we are brushing our teeth and only using it when needed. We could also just not use any heating or air conditioning, and as a substitute for heating we can use blankets.