What Are You Doing to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? - University of Toronto Magazine
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Colour graphite sketch of the front three quarters of a bicycle and the legs and arm of a person riding it
Illustration by David Sparshott

What Are You Doing to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?

We asked 100 U of T students. This is what they told us Read More

As part of its Climate Positive plan, the University of Toronto has committed to reducing its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Students tell us they are also taking action – by cutting back on single-use plastics, for example, and using other ways besides driving to get around. Surveys have found that climate change is a top-five issue for Canadian youth. Among the students’ “other” responses: choosing more environmentally friendly products, cooking at home more often and conserving electricity and water. Diljot Badessha, a fourth-year student at U of T Mississauga, says she recently started composting at home to reduce food waste. “Doing that small task doesn’t seem like a lot, but I’m proud of it and I think I’m helping.”

34%

Using less plastic and paper, recycling more

19%

Taking public transit

15%

Walking and biking

11%

Carpooling

21%

Other

This highly unscientific poll of 100 U of T students was conducted across the three campuses in January 2023.

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  1. No Responses to “ What Are You Doing to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? ”

  2. Danny Harvey says:

    It seems that the single most effective thing that can be done at the individual level - eating less animal food products, beef and dairy in particular - has been left out. Both are large sources of methane emissions in particular (1 kg of methane being equivalent to 26-85 kg of CO2, depending on the time horizon under consideration).