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 >
Seattle Green
With more than 90 percent of Seattle’s electricity generated from clean, hydroelectric power, it means something. It means we all enjoy low rates, and we can hold our chins high knowing that our electricity is 100% carbon neutral. In 2005, City Light became the first electric utility in the country to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions. It has maintained that carbon neutral status every year since.
City Light achieved carbon neutrality by divesting ownership in a coal-fired plant and other fossil fuel projects, investing in renewables and increasing our long-standing energy efficiency programs. For the remaining emissions that we are unable to eliminate from our operations, the utility invested in carbon offsets. City Light was able to undertake these major operational changes while maintaining an affordable and reliable power system. In addition to achieving carbon neutrality, the utility has adopted an integrated resource plan that relies on only new renewables and energy efficiency to meet future load growth.
This is really interesting, and I really like what Seattle did, I wonder if other cities have implemented similar concepts or ideas.
yeah, I wonder that too. It would be great if every city did so.