United States: 1b. Interactive Simulations - Arjun Saluja

Environment   Aug 2, 2017 by arjunsaluja

#Decarbonize: Decolonize Project 2017-18

Interactive Simulation

1. Ecological Footprint Calculator -Link

• What part of your ecological footprint most surprised you?

The part of my ecological footprint that surprised me the most was probably the part that said that if the whole world ate like me, we would need 3.7 planet earths.

• How did your footprint compare to your city’s average and your country’s average?

My footprint turned out to be 6.5 global hectares (gha), which is 2.1 gha lower than the country average of 8.6 gha. However, my footprint was 0.6 gha higher than the California average of 5.9 gha.

• Find a location with a smaller carbon footprint from yours, within your own country if possible. What is different about this community from your own? What can you learn from this?

One location that has a smaller carbon footprint than mine is Massachusetts. Its carbon footprint is 9.49 CO2 emissions per capita, while mine is 12.4. I think Massachusetts community is different from the Bay Area because Massachusetts is much more

• What parts of your footprint do you feel is possible to reduce? What parts don’t?

I feel that I can reduce the amount of meat that I eat on a daily basis. This is because I eat lots of poultry and not enough vegetables.

3. Water Footprint Calculator -Link (Global North Schools), Link (Global South Schools)

• Were you surprised by how much water you consumed?

Yes, I was very surprised because of how much water I used.

• How did your footprint compare to your country’s and the world's average? (You will need to research this.)

My water footprint turned out to be higher than the global average by over 100 m3 per year.

• What parts of your footprint do you feel is possible to reduce? What parts don’t?

The part of my water footprint that I feel is possible to reduce is the amount of meat I that I eat. I eat way of meat compared to the average person in the world.

• Do some research on a water-based conflict in your country. Which communities have access to water, which ones don’t, and who controls the resource use?

One of the big water conflicts that happened in the United States was the lead outbreak in one of the biggest drinking water streams in Flint, Michigan. This was devastating because the residents of Flint weren’t able to have drinking water available to them.

Arjun Saluja

Moblie: 650-947-7005

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