The Simplest Ecological Footprint Calculator

Inspiration

My project was inspired by my environmental science class, where I learned about ecological footprints - a measure of an individual's environmental impact. This knowledge motivated me to reduce my footprint, as I believe a healthier environment enhances individuals' well-being.

What it does

The Simplest Ecological Footprint Calculator focuses on three primary lifestyle aspects: weekly spending on local foods, the amount of water reused each week, and frequency of air conditioning use. The calculator determines if your footprint is low, average, or high based on these factors. After providing this information, the program suggests three steps to reduce your footprint. A pop quiz is included to reinforce these steps, and users are asked to write a reflection on reducing their footprint. This reflection is then saved to their computer as a text file.

How we built it

I utilized techniques I learned in my Software Design class, including Java, inheritance, and GUI frames.

Challenges we ran into

The calculation component was challenging. For this Hackathon, I used a hypothetical calculation. While it might not be accurate, this framework will serve as a foundation for future research to enhance the calculation process.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I am particularly proud of implementing GUI frames, understanding how to create methods followed by classes, and using inheritance to add more features.

What we learned

This project taught me practical ways to reduce my footprint using simple steps, such as buying local food, reusing water, and reducing the use of AC.

What's next for The Simplest Ecological Footprint

I plan to implement more accurate calculation results for the Ecological Footprint using science-based research studies in this field. I also plan to include more questions (e.g., about transportation, etc) to measure individuals' footprint levels accurately.

Built With

• gui
• inheritance
• java