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 >
Understanding and Applying Methods to Reduce your Carbon Footprint
As a student of Bishop O'Dowd High School, I have compared my personal carbon footprint average to the average carbon footprint of my entire school. My total personal carbon footprint is 11,586 kgs of CO2 emitted annually. Compared to the school average, I am 8,000 kgs less. Unfortunately, compared to schools in the local area (the Bay Area) I am around 1,000 kgs ahead of the average, consequently placing Bishop O'Dowd 9,000 kgs ahead of the local average. Furthermore, most European schools have an average of 6,000 kgs placing myself and O'Dowd even higher in annual carbon footprint. Obviously, it is clear that O'Dowd (including me) need to make some important measures in order to decrease our carbon footprint and help our community become more eco-friendly. Some methods to reduce carbon footprint include shorter showers (preserving water is vital in decreasing carbon footprint), turning off lights when leaving a room and unplugging appliances when not in use (electricity is also critical), and carpooling or taking public transportation (most upperclassmen begin to drive their own cars as their only form of transportation). Finally, even participating in services and clubs actively taking action to preserve our environment through reducing our carbon footprint, can help decrease your communities total carbon footprint (even if it is not calculated in websites such as these, it is still just as important).