Langley university student Okewoma Okumo can help you calculate your personal carbon emissions, then take steps to reduce them, using an app that he created.
Okumo, an 18-year-old first-year student and computer science major at Trinity Western University in Langley, wrote the program for the Township of Langley’s Codathon: Coding Matters competition, and took second place, worth $1,000, for his project.
It was Okumo’s first time competing in a codathon.
“I was pretty nervous going in as a first-year (student), but I am very happy with the results,” he said.
The Codathon event, sponsored by Microsoft, required participants to build a prototype that runs on the cloud computing service, Microsoft Azure, and solves problems under one of five themes: climate and natural resources, farms and food, culture and inclusion, civic engagement, or transparency.
READ ALSO: Township of Langley says coding matters
Okumo’s greenhouse gas emissions calculator and environmental educator allows users to calculate their own personal carbon emissions that affect the climate, then provides information on how they can reduce those emissions.
“This app was created so that individuals can take what goes on in our environment into their own hands,” Okumo explained.
“Just at your fingertips, you can see what you are currently producing to affect the environment, ways to make your impact on the environment a good one, and ways to support both our community and our environment.”
Data collected by the app can be saved into a database to help civic leaders view trends and create action plans.
READ ALSO: Plan to fight climate change gets nod from Langley Township council
Okumo hopes to become a software engineer and work in “either a full-stack development position or a more front-end-focused development position.”
He also has athletic ambitions as a member of the TWU track team who competes in long jump, triple jump, 60 meters, and 200 meters.
“One of my biggest goals would be representing Canada on the world stage in competitions such as the Pan American Games, Diamond League, and the Olympics,” Okumo said.
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