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 >
Locally Grown Food
There’s nothing wrong with locally grown food. But, for some reason, the majority of us buy food that is grown out of the state, or even out of the country. Doing this wastes a lot of energy, by needing to power the vehicles that bring food to our grocery stores, when we could just buy food that is locally grown. My family used to have a garden, and we would grow all sorts of vegetables. We would still need to buy some things from stores, but it saved more energy than you would think. Growing a garden does take a lot of work, but it is worth it when you help save the environment.
I completely agree! Also, the source of the items in the grocery store is usually written on the label. Buying only something that is close to where you live can impact how much of that product is shipped to your area. Growing a garden at home can seem like a hassle, but it saves a lot of time of going to the store in the long run. Plus, you know that whatever you are eating is not treated because it is coming from your own yard.
I agree, but unfortunately it's a little unrealistic for many people to grow their own food in gardens. Not everyone has enough space for a garden or even a backyard at all. Without proper location for gardening it would be very hard to make a significant difference in carbon emissions. Everyone doesn't necessarily have time to garden either. It's the sad and unfortunate truth, but I understand that the people that will or already do garden for food, will make a difference to save the environment.
I definitely would garden for food myself, but I simply don't have the time. Juggling school, sports, and extracurricular activities doesn't support a life of gardening. I would obviously encourage other people with a less active lifestyles to try a life in the dirt, but would not recommend it for all. It often takes patience and some tedious work, but in the long run is very rewarding. I do, however, often buy food from the farmer's market and believe that people should at east purchase a portion of their food locally.