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 >
Getting inspired
Before getting involved in this project, I had no Idea how much we produce and how ignorant we are. I started the carbon footprint calculator with a hint of positivity. My "Transportation" was below average and had a feeling everything will go decent from then on, but "Home" came into place. As every question was being answered, I was watching the green bar getting bigger and bigger. And, my the end of the last "Home" question, I had double the results than the average person. But when "Food" and "Purchases" had to be answered, I lost all my enthusiasm. Those were under the normal too, but I couldn't get over my enormous result on "Home".
At the end of the test, I acknowledged a lot of things that I was doing wrong in my everyday life. I was charging my phone way too much, leaving the house while having my computer plugged in and my desk lamp turned on. Being so shook about my huge results, I decided to have a chat with my parents on this subject. They admitted doing the same things as me and having unacceptable electric bills. We promised ourselves that we'll change our habits so we can produce less.
A few days later, me and my father discussed about this subject again. I asked him if they have changes at his workplace so they can reduce the carbon footprint. Because he was working in a well known factory for over 10 years, there were a lot of changes that were undergone. He told me about how they changed every normal lightbulb into LED ones and how, the following year, they're planning to install solar panels in a field nearby. And at that moment a connection was made into my head. We can inspire from every person around us!
Today, only one out of my lightbulbs is not using the LED technology and we're getting solar panels installed in the following weeks! There were so many things that changed in so little time. I knew that there are all long term changes and I could feel how my home was getting greener!
Getting inspired from others is not a crime, that's actually one of the purposes of this forum! What things did you change in your everyday life after you've calculated your carbon footprint? Were you the only one in your family that did it? Did they work?