Questions and Answers on Carbon Footprint - Paper Example

You have read about how the Earths climate and weather works. Also the text touched on the how it is concluded that humans are part of the reason for acerbating change. Now lets take it a step further and do some self-reflective observations. This week students will evaluate their own carbon footprint. Your assignment will consist of completing an online carbon calculator and then completing this worksheet. The worksheet has three sections and is worth 100 total points.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Climate Change Assignment

Your Carbon Footprint 100 Total Points

The purpose of this assignment is to compare your carbon footprint today with what it may have been in the past or what it will be in the future. Complete the yellow sections.

Section I Directions: Current Self

Step 1: Go to Coolclimate Link http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculator

Here you will input information about your current self in the carbon calculator.

Step 2: Fill in the following table with your chart results. (10 Points)

Category Input Metric Tons CO2 / Year (2) points each

Travel 4.5

Home 1.4

Food 1.8

Goods 2.2

Services 2.8

Step 3: Describe how you compare to the average household in United States with average size and similar income? (10 Points)

Category Input Percentage Better or Worse Show Better with a positive number and show Worse with a negative number (2) points each

Travel 61.3% Better +

Home 88.5% Better +

Food 34.3% Better +

Goods 79.9% Better +

Services 75.1% Better +

Section 2 is on the next page. Make sure to do it as well.

Section 2 Directions: Future or Past Self

Step 1: Go to Coolclimate Link http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculatorIn Step 1 you will input information about yourself from another time period in your life. Which time period you choose is up to you. You can choose a time earlier in your life or consider what your life may look like in the future. The choice is yours just whatever period of life you choose make sure to stick with it. It is understood some habits may change while some may not. Do your best.

Step 2: Fill in the following table with your chart results. (10 Points) 19711

Category Input Metric Tons CO2 / Year (2) points each

Travel 20

Home 20.2

Food 10

Goods 12.9

Services 4.5

Step 3: Describe how you compare to the average household in United States with average size and similar income? (10 Points)

Category Input Percentage Better or Worse Show Better with a positive number and show Worse with a negative number (2) points each

Travel 31.8% Better +

Home 2.3% Better +

Food 1.5% Worse -

Goods 34.9% Better +

Services 77.3% Better +

Section 3 is on the next page. Make sure to do it as well.

Section 3 Directions: Results and Analysis

You will notice you have a carbon footprint in Part I and Part II. Use the data from either Part I or Part II one to answer Part III.

Write your total carbon footprint here - _10.5____________________ (2 Points)

Name at least 5 things you would be willing to do realistically to reduce your carbon footprint and quantify what the reduction would be. (24 Points)

Input Reduction Method Input Metric Tons of Carbon each method can Reduce

1.Practice Eco-driving .6

2.Maintain my vehicles .47

3.Print Double Sided .26

4.Turn off lights .14

5.Turn down Thermostat in winter .3

Total 1.6

Did your realistic reductions make your carbon footprint zero?

Answer Yes or No ______NO_______________ (2 Points)

How much more carbon do you need to reduce? Detail Metric Tons _____________8.9________ (2 Points)

You have an option to buy offsets. Offsets are actual cash payments you make to an organization to have them take actions on your behalf to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, you can pay for trees to be planted somewhere that will absorb your carbon output. You will see these options available under the Offsets tab. How much would it cost for you to make your carbon footprint zero using offsets? (16 Points)

Input Type of Offset Input Cost of Offset

Shopping Footprint $92

Transportation footprint $68

Housing footprint $48

Total $208

Part III - Continued

Are you willing to make this purchase? Why or why not? (14 points)

200 Words mandatory

Not meeting the word requirement is an automatic loss of 3 points

Write your answer here in the yellow section below.

YES, I am willing to make the payment to get my carbon footprint to a 0. Essentially, everyone in the world has a footprint which largely depends on how wealthy we are, where we live and what energy we have access to. Our personal spending on travel, food, housing, services and products account for more than two-thirds of global greenhouse emissions. My current carbon footprint is not 0; I still need to reduce about 8.9 more carbon to get my carbon to 0. I believe I got the power to reduce my footprint by making this purchase.

I intend to pay up $92 on shopping footprint, $68 on transportation footprint and $48 on housing footprint. Furthermore, I will plant more trees. The total cost I will incur is $208, and I believe by spending this amount I will be able to reduce my carbon footprint drastically. This is because the largest share of my carbon is lost shopping, transportation and in housing. With regards to shopping, I will major on purchasing home grown foods. I believe by consuming locally produced food would drastically reduce the amount of carbon as well as the amount of pollution. I will also major on consuming seasonal foods other than out season foods. Furthermore, I will also place precedence to using biofuels instead of fossil fuels to reduce my carbon footprint.

With regards to transportation, I will drive less and do more cycling and walk. It is not only healthy but rather also conservative to the environment. Moreover, I can opt to use environmentally friendly fuels like hydrogen in cars.

Finally, with regards to housing footprint, I will be trying to dropping my thermostat by 1 degree Celsius during winter. By doing, these, I will be able to save about 10% less heat. I will also Lead and CFL lights. I will also plant a lot of trees in my home compound. By embracing these practices, I believe I will be able to reduce my carbon footprint to 0.