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 >
Palo Alto Student Footprint
I knew our footprint would probably be higher than average because Palo Alto is an affluent area, but it was still much, much higher than I expected. Previous calculators indicated that our footprint was somewhat lower than local or regional averages, almost all our appliances are Energy Star certified, and we generally try to employ eco-friendly practices like recycling and saving. However, transportation was the main contributor to the carbon footprint, probably because even though we drive a hybrid electric vehicle, it has really poor MPG — and we fly twice a year. Home footprint was also very high, but food and purchases were quite low since I don't eat that much and also because I now buy nearly all my clothes from thrift.