After calculating my emissions and discovering the impact of some of my behaviors I have really been able to reflect on my behaviors and what I can do to make a difference. I realized that every step matters including the little things. While reflecting I thought about how many showers I take daily especially due to sports and realized that I take pretty long showers. I also remember that this played a role in my total home carbon footprint when I calculated it online. I did some research and discovered that according to the University of Richmond, “On average, each American uses approximately 100 gallons of water a day at home, while someone living in a water poor country will use only about 2.64 gallons of water a day. In the US, almost 17% of at home water use is for showering. Reducing your shower time by 2 minutes can save 6 gallons of water a day which will add up to over 2,000 gallons a year.” These statistics really got through to me and allowed me to see how lucky I am to live in a place where I have access to high quantities of clean water and how something as  simple as reducing a shower can make a big difference. It made me really want to take action to do my part and for the sake of the environment I am really willing to take shorter showers. I hope to reduce my showers by 2 minutes so that I can save 6 gallons of water a day. However, I know that this step may be challenging. For example, I love taking long hot showers and sometimes take two a day because they wake me up in the morning and I have to take one after my practices. I know that it will be hard but I also know how much it will help the environment and know that if I put my mind to it I can do it. Having the support from my parents would make it easier because they would be able to keep me in line and make sure that I am following through with taking shorter showers. They could also keep track of how long my showers are and to further help the environment I can get my loved ones to also take shorter showers with me. I am also willing to make sure that I turn the lights off when they aren’t needed. According to the website: “Save on Energy” I discovered that, “Although it may not be obvious, there's a direct connection between your energy use and the environment. When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth's natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction. By taking steps to reduce your energy intake, you'll contribute to a healthier and happier world.” This shows the impact that turning the lights off would have since I am using less power. I think that it may be a challenge for me to remember to turn off the lights when I need to but with the support and constant reminder from my parent's I know that I will help the environment. I am really excited to do my part and take action with these simple steps for the environment and betterment of the world I love.

https://www.saveonenergy.com/energy-sav … vironment/
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/livi … water.html

I agree, Justice. I have also found that some of the results of my emissions are surprising! For example, in my personal experience, I was shocked at how much carbon was emitted due to my transportation. Due to my prior knowledge, I did know the airplanes emit a lot of carbon dioxide. However, I did not know how much a few plane trips would impact the environment. My transportation carbon emissions were by far the most carbon and surpassed the national and international average. This year, I did visit Las Vegas for a soccer tournament (round trip) and I went to the eastern side of the country to visit my family (round trip). Altogether, my carbon footprint was pretty big solely based on my transportation. According to an article written by the New York Times in 2013, it states that: “Though air travel emissions now account for only about 5 percent of warming, that fraction is projected to rise significantly, since the volume of air travel is increasing much faster  than gains in flight fuel efficiency. (Also, emissions from most other sectors are falling.)” This shows the danger of the environment that airline travel exposes the country to.