Looking at my results from the carbon footprint calculator opened my eyes. I never realized eating meat makes my carbon footprint bigger which, in turn, makes the climate warmer. I would leave my room with the lights on without any guilt. After learning about carbon footprints, I think about having pasta instead of turkey and I run back to my room to turn off the lights. It never occurred to me how much I can make a difference in the environment.
    With my new-found knowledge, I am going to make some modifications to my lifestyle. One of the more obvious changes I will make is to turn off the lights. In my room, I have eight light bulbs that all turn on with the same switch. It is bad enough leaving one incandescent light bulb on but when I leave my room I am leaving on eight! Second, I will take shorter showers. Running the water for twelve minutes wastes a lot  but combining the amount of carbon used for heating the water is just terrible. Lastly, I plan to carpool to soccer practice more often. I travel 20 miles per week for soccer alone. This includes two to three pra ctices a week and two games every weekend. Traveling with teammates is not only better for the environment but it is also fun.
There are a few things I am not willing to give up. First, I love turkey sausage. Every morning for breakfast I eat two sausage patties. The protein gives me enough energy to get started for the day. Despite how inefficient it is to raise livestock to slaughter, I will not be giving up meat. The other thing I cannot give up is travel. My family loves going to Hawaii and the only way to get there is by plane. We go multiple times a year and despite how bad travelling by plane is, I am not willing to stop my tropical vacations.

You bring up very valid points. People's specific needs don't always meet the Eco-friendly criteria. For example many third world places such as the Congo and Amazon still use slash and burn farming techniques. The burning of the forests, as you can imagine, releases tons of emissions. However, it is much easier for us to just tell them to stop doing it as it is for them to stop. They need the money from the farms and it is the only way they know how to live sometimes. This is true for everyone in someway, athletes need a lot of calories, companies need a lot of computers, etc. But also as you said, we can do the small things. We can be more mindful of what light-bulbs we buy and how long they are left on. Just buy knowing what we are doing to our planet; the calcifying coral reefs, the wild fire circles, and much more we can do the little things to change it. Hopefully once everyone is informed and accepting we can begin to shift in larger ways.