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 >
Shorter Shower Time
Showers are great and all, especially after a long, tiring day. However, the longer you take, the more energy is wasted. This energy is turned into carbon which goes into our atmosphere. Showers use about 2.5 gallons of water per minute, and each gallon uses three ounces of carbon dioxide. By reducing your shower time by only two minutes, you can save about 340 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
I agree with you. Many people take very long showers not knowing the harm it causes. The average shower is about 8 minutes. That means 20 gallons of water is being used. Also, a lot of the time the water doesn't even hit you. To save water, you could even get an EPA certified shower head.