Carbon Foot Print Calculator

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html#c=waste&p=reduceWaste&m=calc_yourEstimatedSavings

Yearly Savings in CO2 Emissions (lb/year)

74,695

Current Household Emissions

62,250

U.S. Average Household Emissions

72,159

Your Reduced Emissions

http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions: (3 people)

62

Tons of
CO₂ eq/year

U.S. Average (3 people)

80

Tons of
CO₂ eq/year

World Average (3 people)

17

Tons of
CO₂ eq/year

Your Behavior
Breakdown
• Home Energy (53.7%)
• Driving & Flying (18.8%)
• Recycling & Waste (3.4%)
• Food & Diet (24.1%)
U.S. Average
Behavior Breakdown
• Home Energy (36.8%)
• Driving & Flying (43.5%)
• Recycling & Waste (4.4%)
• Food & Diet (15.3%)
Your estimated greenhouse gas emissions are 62 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per year, which is below the U.S. national average.

http://elearning.kilgore.edu/mod/scorm/player.php

Your emissions are equivalent to 117 barrels of oil, and planting and managing 10 acres of forest.
Your total
50 tons CO2/yr

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

• Welcome
• House
• Flights
• Car
• Motorbike
• Bus & Rail
• Secondary
• Results

Your Footprint	Country Average	World Target

Your Carbon Footprint:

House	1.27 metric tons of CO2
Flights	0.79 metric tons of CO2
Car	0.02 metric tons of CO2
Motorbike	0.00 metric tons of CO2
Bus & Rail	0.00 metric tons of CO2
Secondary	6.35 metric tons of CO2

Total = 8.43 metric tons of CO2

To offset some or all of your carbon footprint, click the sections you would like to offset in the list above, and click the Offset Now button.

Total To Offset = 8.43 metric tons of CO2

Offset Now

Your footprint is 8.43 metric tons per year The average footprint for people in United States is 20.40 metric tons The average for the industrial nations is about 11 metric tons The average worldwide carbon footprint is about 4 metric tons The worldwide target to combat climate change is 2 metric tons

If you're using a public computer, or want to try again, you can [clear your carbon footprint data] For ideas on how to reduce your carbon footprint, see the CO2 Reduction section of our website. Why not sign up for our newsletter to keep informed of other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint?

< Secondary

The average of all four calculators equals 39.3575 tons.

Bar Graph:

Summary:
There are several ways to limit carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere.  Using a clothesline instead of a dryer may take a little more time, but the sun and wind will dry clothes without using electricity.  Walking or riding a bike means cars won't be driven as frequently.  Carpooling or using public transportation also reduces the number of cars driven on the roads.  When purchasing a car buying a vehicle with low emissions and maintaining it is extremely green.  Coasting to stops, filling up the gas tank before it hits empty, and taking the shortest routes are also easy ways to save on gas and be environmentally aware.  Recycling waste products is another method to be greener.

Energy By The Numbers

Part 1
1.  What is a calorie?
A calorie is a unit of heat energy.  It can also be defined as the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to 1 degree Celsius (now usually defined as 4.1868 joules).
2. What is a BTU?
BTU stands for British thermal unit.  It is a traditional unit of energy equal to about 1055 joules.  It is the amount of energy or heat needed to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
3. How many calories are in 1 BTU?
There are 252.164401 calories in 1 BTU.
4.  What is a QUAD? (hint lots of BTUs)
A QUAD is a unit of energy equal to 1.055 × 10¹⁸ joules.  
5. The USA uses about 1 QUAD of energy about every 4 days. So approximately how many quads does the USA use in a year? (hint 365 days in 1 year)
The USA uses approximately 91.25 QUADs every year.

Part 2
6. What is a cubic foot?
A cubic foot is the volume equal to a cube one foot on each side.
7. Natural gas is measured in a cubic foot. One cubic foot of natural gas contains about ______ BTUs of energy.
One standard cubic foot of natural gas produces around 1,028 BTUs.
8. Texas homes used about 8 million BTUs of natural gas, so how much is that in calories (use question 3 for help).
2,017,315,208 calories

Part 3
The numbers for the USA and Texas energy usage are very high, so what do you think can be done to reduce the demand for energy? Write a one summary with 4 sources that describes what you think can be done.

Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/reduce.html
http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/ReduceEnergy.htm
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/documents/suca/consumer_fact_sheet.pdf
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home

The easiest way to reduce the demand for energy is to make good energy decisions.  Using less energy means power plants won't have as many greenhouse gas emissions.  There are several ways to make good energy decisions.  About half of all energy used in homes goes to heating and cooling.  Insulating houses better will cause less cold and hot air to escape which will cause air conditioners and heaters to have to work less.  Using ceiling fans is an alternative to turning on the air conditioner.  Typically ceiling fans use less electricity than air conditioners.  Window fans can also cool down houses using less electricity.  When building a house, lighter-colored "cool roofs" with high reflectance and emissivity can stay up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than houses with dark-colored roofs.  Wood stoves are also another way to heat houses without using electricity.  Changing air filters regularly, about once every three months, is another way to be more energy efficient.  While energy efficiency is being more stressed, many people choose not to make energy saving choices for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes they are not aware, sometimes they find it hard to locate more efficient products, sometimes they cost more, and sometimes they do not have easy access to qualified energy efficiency experts to help them review and take advantage of opportunities for energy efficient investments.

Air Data Lab

1. Name the two pollutants

(Sulfur dioxide and Ozone)

2. What are the potential health effects of each pollutant?

(Exposure to sulfur dioxide from even 5 minutes to 24 hours can cause adverse respiratory effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms.  Sulfur dioxide can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles that can deeply penetrate into vulnerable parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen respiratory diseases such as emphysema and bronichitis and can aggravate existing heart disease.  Breathing ground-level ozone can result in a number of negative health effects. Some of these effects include induction of respiratory symptoms, decrements in lung function, and inflammation of airways.  Adverse respiratory symptoms may include coughing, throat irritation, pain, burning, or discomfort in the chest when taking a deep breath, and chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath,)

3. Look at the changes over these 3 different years, describe what has happened in East Texas that may have caused the changes.

(It appears that the sulfur dioxide levels have been dropping overall.  There are a few times where they rise a little, but overall they are going down.  In 2000, the EPA issued the final rule for tier 2 of the Clean Air Act that reduced the sulfur content of gasoline.  That could have had something to do with the lower levels of sulfur dioxide in East Texas.  Also, in December of 2000, the EPA reduced diesel sulfur levels in an effort to clean up emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses.  Because there are a large quantity of heavy-duty, diesel trucks in East Texas, this rule could have also had a positive impact on the sulfur dioxide levels in the atmosphere.  Ground level ozone has also decreased in the atmosphere over the past years.  Once again, there have been the odd times where it rises slightly, but for the most part, ozone pollution has gone down steadily.  Ground level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight.  Burning fossil fuels is a major man-made cause of nitrogen oxide, and motor vehicles, solvents, and industrial processes in the petrochemical industry are sources of volatile organic compound.  Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has set protective health-based standards for ozone in the air.  EPA, state, and cities have instituted a variety of multi-faceted programs to meet these health-based standards.  Voluntary programs also encourage communities to adopt practices, such as carpooling, to reduce harmful emissions.  These may have helped in reducing the ozone levels in East Texas.  Also, cities and towns in East Texas are farther apart, so as gas prices have risen, carpooling is seen as being environmentally friendly and cheaper.)

4. Write a 1 page summary that describes what can be done to limit each of these pollutants.

(There are several ways to limit sulfur dioxide pollution in the atmosphere.  One of the more expensive methods could be buying a smart car or using only solar, lunar, wind, or wave powered things.  Upgrading old appliances to energy-efficient models is also another way to limit electricity use, which in turn limits sulfur dioxide emissions.  Easier and cheaper methods include taking everything out of the fridge that is needed to cook a meal once and putting it back once.  Use one oven cycle to bake several dishes.  Using a clothesline instead of a dryer may take a little more time, but the sun and wind will dry clothes without using electricity.  Reducing indoor heating and cooling costs will also be greener and help save money.  Planting shade trees near a house eases the burden on air conditioners while installing insulation helps maintain homes' temperatures and reduce electric cooling and heating.  Walking or riding a bike means cars won't be driven as frequently.  Carpooling or using public transportation also reduces the number of cars driven on the roads.  When purchasing a car buying a vehicle with low emissions and maintaining it is extremely green.  Coasting to stops, filling up the gas tank before it hits empty, and taking the shortest routes are also easy ways to save on gas and be environmentally aware.  There are also easy ways to reduce ground level ozone.  Conserving energy at home, work, and everywhere also helps.  Looking for Energy Star labels when buying home and/or office equipment is environmentally helpful.  Once again, carpooling, using public transportation, walking, and cycling reduces ground level ozone.  Combine errands to reduce trips.  Following gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery, being careful not to spill fuel, always tightening gas caps securely, avoiding excessive idling of automobiles, refueling in the evening when it's cooler, and being sure automobile's tires are properly inflated are easy ways to be green.  Conserve electricity by setting air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees.  Wait to use gasoline-powered equipment such as lawn mowers until evening.  Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.)

Graph Project

For each of the following, determine which property is the independent variable and which is the dependent variable.

1. Carbon dioxide consumption verses sunlight exposure of a plant.

(Sunlight exposure is the independent variable, and carbon dioxide consumption is the dependent variable.)

2. Breathing rate verses the rate oxygen consumption.

(Breathing rate is the independent variable, and the rate of oxygen consumption is the dependent variable.)

3. The rate that sugar dissolves verses the temperature of the coffee.

(The temperature of the coffee is the independent variable, and the rate that the sugar dissolves in the dependent variable.)

4. Pulse rates of athletes and non-athletes before and after exercise.

(The pulse rates are the dependent variable, and the independent variable is before and after exercise.)

5. The pH of tea and cokes with 1, 5, 10, 15 drops of lemon juice added to each one.

(The pH of the tea and cokes is the dependent variable, and the drops of lemon juice is the independent variable.)

1. Graph the following data (Percent of atmospheric gas) as a pie chart: 70% nitrogen, 21% oxygen,

1% argon, 0.1% carbon dioxide, 0.001% water.

2. Graph the following data as data points using excel or google spreadsheets a scatter with data points(only) :
(1,10); (3,15); (5,25); (7,10); (9,30).

3. Graph the following data as a pie graph using excel or google spreadsheets: (20%, 30%, 10%, 40%)

4. Graph the Air Pollution data from the TCEQ with the amount of pollutants.
1.    Complete the table with the pollutant data divided into days of the week(SMTWTFS)

Pollutant......	Sunday....	Monday...	Tuesday...	Wednesday	Thursday..	Friday...	Saturday...
Ozone (O3) Week	29 1	34 1	25 1	20 1	19 1	17 1	20 1
Ozone (O3) Week	21 2	22 2	23 2	21 2	17 2	28 2	32 2
Ozone (O3) Week	32 3	43 3	40 3	32 3	36 3	34 3	36 3
Ozone (O3) Week	41 4	25 4	20 4	14 4	24 4	19 4	21 4
Ozone (O3) Week	22 5	22 5	19 5
Calculate Avg.	29	29.2	25.4	21.75	24	24.5	27.25

2.    Construct a bar graph using excel or google spreadsheets with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Ozone data.  Be sure to label your graph and give it a title.

Use a data above to make a bar graph with wind speed and high temperature for each day of the week.

Environmental... Conditions Per Week	Sunday...	Monday...	Tuesday...	Wednesday..	Thursday...	Friday...	Saturday...
Wind Speed Week	2.9 1	3.7 1	3.8 1	4.0 1	1.6 1	2.3 1	1.6 1
High Temperature	87.3	89.2	91.2	91.3	91.7	92.4	94.1
Wind Speed Week	1.3 2	2.1 2	1.2 2	3.8 2	1.9 2	2.3 2	1.2 2
High Temperature	92.8	89.5	93.9	95	96.7	94.8	86.8
Wind Speed Week	.8 3	1.1 3	.9 3	.9 3	1.0 3	1.3 3	1.4 3
High Temperature	89.5	92.4	94.7	94.6	93.5	95.7	97.4
Wind Speed Week	1.6 4	1.9 4	2.5 4	2.1 4	.9 4	1.4 4	1.8 4
High Temperature	96.8	95.1	90.3	95.2	97.1	99.5	101.4
Wind Speed Week	2.6 5	1.7 5	1.0 5
High Temperature	98.6	97.2	95

1. Next use both graphs to determine if wind speed or temperature effected the amount of ozone pollution in the atmosphere.
2. What day of the week had the most ozone. What was the high temperatures for those days?
(Monday, 89.2, 89.5, 92.4, 95.1, 97.2)
3. What week had the most wind? What was the ozone during that week?
(Week 1, 23.429)
4. What week has the highest temperatures? What was the ozone that week?
(Week 5, 27.25)
5. Determine which caused an increase or decrease in the ozone levels: day of the week, temperature, or wind speed.
(Wind speed)
6. Why do you think that your answers in #5 had greatest effect on ozone?
(I think wind speed has the greatest effect on ozone because the week that had the highest wind speed also had a very high ozone level even higher than the week that the temperature was its height.)

This lab was specifically designed to teach students about the importance of graphing.  Graphing is a way to put large amounts of data in a concise, readable form.  It also makes it easier to compare and contrast different sections of data.  Some of the easiest programs to use to create graphing charts are Excel 2010 and Google Docs.  Excel 2010 provides formats for scatter data plots, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, columns, and several others.  Pie charts are handy for percentage studies while scatter data plots work well with coordinates.  Bar graphs are best for comparing or contrasting data or showing dates with numbers.  Graphing is an important tool for analyzing large amounts of facts or statistics and comparing/contrasting it to other information in an easy-to-read format on an understandable chart.