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I used the International Student Challenge Carbon Footprint Challenge calculator to evaluate my impact on carbon dioxide emissions. This was my first time taking this test and I can tell I've got surprised about my results. I noticed that I am responsible for emitting 5,754 kgs of CO2 per year, which is more than Brazil's average (3,519 kgs) and more than the whole world's average (3,791 kgs). Honestly, I was hoping that my results would be lower than 5,754 kgs because I already try to be conscient in my daily routine, but I realized I still have a lot to improve on.
Thankfully, I could see that my "Food" average is way lower than my region's average (1,400 kgs compared to 2,320 kgs), and I think it happens because recently I have been changing my habits since I am looking forward to following a vegetarian diet! Because of this, I don't eat meat in the biggest part of my meals, which are vegetarian or even vegan. I believe I still have to improve my pattern of consumption, but I am relieved with my result since Brazil’s typical diet includes a lot of meat. On the other hand, I still eat a relevant quantity of processed food, since I used to see it as easier and faster, but I will start eating more homemade food because it will be healthier not only for me but for the environment. In addition, I could notice that my emission by purchase (88 kgs) is low compared to my region's (239 kgs), which made me really happy because I already try not to buy what I don't need.
Because I live in São Paulo, which is one of the biggest cities in the world and is also an important economic and industrial point in Brazil, I have to be careful about the daily habits that seem "normal" to me, but that are responsible for a huge impact on the environment. My patterns of transportation are the most responsible for my CO2 emission (3,712 kgs compared to an average of 726 kgs in my region, which means my emission should be at least five times lower than it is). I believe it happens because although I go to school by bus (or at least I did before quarantine), I go everywhere else by car, so my biggest goal right now is to start walking more or riding a bike, because there are many places I can go without using a car in my neighborhood. I can also use public transport, but this aspect still has a lot to improve on in Brazil. However, air transportation is the one which causes the most damage to the environment. Last year, I went on two international flights, so I was responsible for a lot of carbon emissions because each flight lasted for eight hours! I had no idea of the damage I was causing and I had never thought about the amount of gases emission a single flight could have. Therefore, I will replace some international and plane trips with destinations closer to where I live.
Besides that, I noticed I have to improve my habits at home: I am responsible for emitting 552 kgs of CO2, while the average in my region is 234 kgs, which means my emission should be less than half of what it is. I showed my parents the results of my carbon footprint and they also noticed that we can start by changing the small things, such as the way we wash the dishes, wash our clothes, the amount of time that we spend taking showers or that we leave the lights turned on.
I study at Colegio Magno and my school takes a lot of action to minimize the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere. We use solar panels to provide energy, we recycle, we have a composter that transforms food into fertilizers for the school’s vegetable garden and we also have aquaponics, which are tanks of fish which have their water removed from time to time, which is used to bring nutrients to the school’s vegetable garden as well. My school also has a partnership with an NGO called “SOS Mata Atlântica”, which provides native trees of the Atlantic Forest to be planted in a square close to Magno. These projects really inspire us, students, to become more eco-friendly every single day.
I am really thankful for having calculated my Carbon Footprint because now I can clearly see the aspects that I have to improve the most in my routine, and I am not satisfied with my 2020 results. I believe every human being should take this test to have self-improvement and am looking forward to calculating my carbon footprint again next year! There is a lot I can do to become a better person to our planet and to contribute to decarbonizing!
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3 Comment(s)
Hi,my name is Ally. I am from Taiwan.
Before reading your blog, I didn't know that travel will significantly increase the carbon footprint, especially flying. Taiwan’s food culture is also one of the reasons that Taiwan’s per capita carbon emissions are the highest in Asia. Each person eats 432.5 grams of meat per day, producing 5.7 kg of carbon, accounting for 29% of the total daily carbon emissions. Although environmental protection awareness is high and many people know ways to reduce carbon, surveys show that some people still lag behind in carbon reduction actions. I saw a news report a few days ago and found that Brazil’s deep-rooted food culture is also really difficult to change, but I believe that as long as we are not giving up, we can one day improve this difficult situation.
As a member of a global village, environmental protection is every citizen's right and obligation, and everyone must carry out this mission. I hope you will be able to achieve your goals in 2021. Thank you for reading this review.
Hi Sophia,
It's great to see that you have been implementing eco friendly things into your life and it's amazing to see you parents getting on board with you because the more people that know about it, the better chance we have at changing our lifestyles. It's also really interesting to see how much a diet change can make.
- Hollie, Townsville, Australia
Hi Sophia, it is interesting to see the difference having a vegetarian diet makes. My emissions from food was 4,159 kgs which was above average in my region which is almost triple your carbon emissions from food.
AHSofChungHsingTW-2
Jan 9, 2021