My carbon footprint was surprisingly above the average person in Oakland, California. I thought that by using my wits to rearrange carpools to school, social events, and soccer practices that this alone would make a bigger difference in my carbon footprint. However, I do travel a lot for club soccer which makes a big impact. Some ways in which I believe I can help out for the sake of our environment is to conserve more water, compost bins, and replace 2 of our cars that we have with a hybrid. These would all provide challenges for not just me but my family as well. It takes discipline to fully follow through with each of these goals. We can start saving more water by using buckets to catch the water from showers and sinks while we wait for the hot water to spit out. We then can use this to water our plants, drinking water, and for cooking. The challenge that this proposes for us is to remember to use the buckets and be consistent with using them. Installing compost bins in our kitchen will be a lot easier for us to manage because it is easy to just throw compost material s within the bin. Purchasing a hybrid car is a major issue due to the fact that my parents do not prefer these type of cars. I however think it would be a great idea to invest in one as they reduce emissions and have less fuel consumption.  The largest issue I find today in our society is the drought in California. I believe that many are not fully aware of how extensive this problem is and is increasingly going to become. I am in full support of the State Water Board enforcement policy that has laid down a rule to limit water running down driveways/sidewalks, watering outdoor landscapes, washing cars, or using water for a fountain that does not re-circulate.  One can be fined up to $500 a day for failure to comply with this regulation. The one person I am fighting this problem with is my father who is too stubborn to succumb to the new enforcement's.  I have made it a goal of mine to get him on board and on track with the set of rules I have laid out for my family to follow to help save our environment as it has become a big concern of mine to do my part in making this world a better/healthier place to live.

I had a similar experience with my carbon footprint survey. I did not think I traveled as much as the average Californian, but I was wrong. A combination of going on flights this summer for vacation, driving about 20 miles to school and back everyday, driving to lacrosse practice in Lafayette or back at school, and various social events has put my carbon footprint for transportation higher than the California average. In order to improve my transportation footprint I need to carpool with friends more and generally be more conscience of how much I am driving every week by trying to only drive when it is a necessity. I can also try to drive as economically as possible by accelerating slowly and not going over the speed limit. For me, my transportation footprint is the hardest to find practical solutions to because much of my driving is necessary.

All very true though sometimes things are more complicated then they seem