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 >
Thrifted goods
One of the biggest contributors to climate change is the fashion industry. Fast fashion pollutes the air. Many clothes end up in the dump after maybe a year and are burnt which emits CO2 and other gasses into the air. This is why donating and buying thrift goods is better for the environment.
https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fa … y-second-5
I agree! I think that if we cut back on the purchase of new clothing products, then we can make a huge difference. By increasing the amount of clothes bought in thrift stores, we can reduce our carbon footprint and work towards restoring the world we have destroyed.
Purchasing used clothing is a positive way to help support the environment. According to the Student Environmental Resource Center of the University of California Berkeley, 10.5 million tons of clothing are thrown away by Americans each year. These clothes are also made from synthetic materials (e.g. polyester, nylon, acrylic) which is plastic. If 10.5 million tons of plastic are sitting in landfills, this means that they will remain there for hundreds of years and sometimes, forever. By buying thrifted clothes, more plastic can be kept out of landfills. Also, buying used clothes can massively decrease the amount of water used to make new clothing. A pair of jeans takes about 1,800 galloons of water to make. Other pieces of clothing also take about similar amounts of water to make. If thrifted clothes were to be purchased more often, then we can save tons of water. I took the liberty of seeing the difference of the carbon footprint of a person who buys new clothing instead of thrifted clothes. According to the carbon footprint calculator on this very website, a person who buys new clothing contributes 129 kgs of carbon into the atmosphere whereas a person who buys thrifted clothes contribute no carbon emissions. Even though thrifted clothing cannot be the only thing we do to minimize our carbon footprint, it can still be a small step to a better future. On a personal note, buying used clothes is also cheaper meaning you can save money!
Link to 1st source: https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting … ur-wallet/
I think so too. Thrifting close or items from second-hand stores decreases the amount of things bought in stores with new clothes. Stores will only produce as much as they sell so then they will be forced to cut down production or lose money. This can cut down carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
I also agree with the statement that thrifting is good for the environment because most Americans throw away 10.5 million tons of clothes every year! Since 1950, the production of clothing has increased drastically, but the prices of clothes are dropping. This is because of "trends" and when it's out of style, that when the clothes are being thrown away. Thrifting is a good way to reduce the amount of thrown-away clothes and landfills.
Source:https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting-is-good-for-the-planet-not-just-your-wallet/