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 >
Electronics
One of the things I was most surprised about when I calculated my footprint was how much simply leaving my phone on instead of shutting it off when I’m not using it, or letting my laptop sleep instead of shutting it all the way off contributed to my carbon footprint. These things might seem little, or even insignificant, but they add up, especially if most people are doing them. According to a recent study by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, our use of electronics “is contributing almost as much to global warming pollution as the entire airline industry” (http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/11/stu … -machines/). This is a very big deal, especially because it’s something most people are unaware of. It’s impossible for people to live without electronics at this day and age, but it is very possible for us to shut our phone all the way off when we know we won’t be able to use it for a while, or shut down our computers instead of letting them sleep. We can easily make these changes, and they will make a difference.
Wow I didn't know that. Most people probably don't realize the consequences of leaving electronics on all the time. Thankfully, this is an easy change to make. I think it's important to make more people aware of this issue so they can reduce their carbon footprint.