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 >
Vampire Switches
While reading a below discussion, I was reminded of a pretty cool gadget that my family friends use. It's called a vampire switch. It goes over electrical outlets and cuts off power to devices that are plugged in but aren't being used. According to CNET, up to 10% of electricity bills are spent on standby power, which is power that is used from electronics that are plugged in but not running. 10% of your electrical bill per month probably translates to a LOT of wasted carbon over time. The power switch on CNET costs only $6.99, which is less than you would save in a year using it. I think more families should consider using vampire switches, both for the savings on electricity and for the carbon savings.
Very interesting, I've never heard of these but it sounds like a very smart investment that would do more good than harm.
I have never heard of this. Although I unplug devices at home, there are a few occasions that I forget to. This would be something great to try!.