What is
YOUR
Carbon
Footprint?
Name: ______
Class: ______
The Earth’s being Destroyed!
FACT!
Sea temperatures have risen by on average 0.5 degrees Celsius over the last 40 years!
20,000 square kilometres of fresh water ice
meltedin the Arctic between 1965 and 1995!
Worldwide measurements from tidal gauges
indicate that global average sea level has risen
between 10 and 25 cm (18 cm average) during the last 100 years!
Global surface temperatures have risen
about 0.7°C in the past 100 years!
11 of the last 12 years rank amongst the
12 warmest years on record for
global temperatures! (since 1850)
The average yearly temperature in the Arctic has increased by about 1° C over the last century - a rate that is approximately double that of global average temperatures!
There is widespread evidence that glaciers are shrinking in many mountain areas of the world. For example, since 1850 the glaciers of the European Alps have lost about 30 to 40% of their surface area and about half of their volume!
What isYOUR Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced,
measured in units of carbon dioxide".
It is meant to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize
their personal impact in contributing to global warming.
Ask someone in your family to help you answer the following questions.
You will need these to estimate your carbon footprint.
How many miles per month do you travel by train?How many miles per week do you travel by bus?
Where have you been on holiday this year?
How did you travel? E.g. train, plane etc
How many miles is this from where you live?
How much is your yearly electricity bill?
How many miles per week do you travel by car?
How many miles from your house is your supermarket?
How many times a week do you go shopping?
How many bags of shopping do you usually have per trip?
Formulas to Calculate your Yearly Carbon Footprint
Train Journeys
The average maximum capacity of a train is 172 people in 6 carriages. On average, a train only reaches 75% capacity. Therefore we will use the figure of 129 as the number of passengers.
Number of Miles x 0.10kg x Number of Passengers x 12months
Bus Journeys
The average maximum capacity of a single decked bus is 55, and a double decked is 61. On average, a bus only reaches 60% capacity. Therefore we will use the figure of 33 passengers for using a single decked bus and 36 for double decked bus.
0.3kg x Number of Passengers x Miles Per Week x 52
Aeroplane Journeys
A Boeing 747 plane has a total capacity of 370 passengers. An Airbus has a total capacity of 266 passengers. On average, a plane only reaches 96% capacity. Therefore we will use the occupancy figures of 355 passengers for a Boeing 747, and 255 passengers for an Airbus. (This is calculated per passenger, not yearly).
[ 10.1kg x (Distance Travelled – 250) + 7840 ]
Number of Passengers
Home Electricity
Your yearly bill can be converted into kWh (kilowatts per hour) by dividing it by 0.0043. This helps us to calculate the amount of energy your house uses per year.
Yearly Electricity Bill x 0.47kg
0.0043
Car Journeys
Small Car
(0.59kg x miles per week) x 52
Medium Car
(1.1kg x miles per week) x 52
SUV/4 Wheel drive
(1.57kg x miles per week) x 52
Food Shopping
To calculate car emissions, you can use the formula for car journeys. For the cost of transport, use a value of 9.5kg for the average weight of a shopping bag. You can then add your two values together to find your total carbon emissions from a supermarket shopping trip.
One Supermarket Visit
Distance to Supermarket x 2 x car emissions
Cost to transport your food to the supermarket
Number of Shopping Bags x Average Shopping Bag Weight x 74.5kg
Carbon Footprint
Add all of your answers together to find an estimate for YOUR Carbon Footprint in kg.
Train Journeys:______kg
Bus Journeys:______kg
Aeroplane Journeys:______kg
Home Electricity:______kg
Car Journeys:______kg
Food Shopping:______kg
Total Carbon Emission: ______kg
Where does your food come from?
When food isn’t in season, it is shipped from other countries so that it is always available to you! Below are some examples:
Country / Food1 / California / Oranges and Strawberries
2 / Mexico / Strawberries
3 / West Indies / Bananas
4 / Ecuador / Bananas
5 / Columbia / Bananas
6 / Costa Rica / Bananas
7 / Argentina / Beef
8 / New Zealand / Lamb
9 / South Africa / Fruits and Vegetables
10 / Central Africa / Coffee Beans and Palm Oil
11 / Spain / Tomatoes and Lettuces
Number the map below where these countries are.
The table below shows the distances (to the nearest 1000) from the countries to the United Kingdom.
Using the calculation:
[10.1 x (Distance Travelled – 250) + 7840] x 2
Work out the total carbon emissions in kg that is produced if all of the food was flown to the United Kingdom.
This will be the total emissions from just the one shipping! The food can be shipped almost every day depending upon the demand of the food!
Country / Miles from UK / Working / TotalEmissions
1 / California / 5 000 / Kg
2 / Mexico / 5 000 / Kg
3 / West
Indies / 4 000 / Kg
4 / Ecuador / 2 000 / Kg
5 / Costa Rica / 5 000 / Kg
6 / Argentina / 7 000 / Kg
7 / New Zealand / 11 000 / Kg
8 / South
Africa / 6 000 / Kg
9 / Central Africa / 3 000 / Kg
10 / Spain / 1 000 / Kg
Total Carbon Emissions for one shipping from all countries:
______kg
Now you have had time to consider your own carbon footprint, draw a spider diagram showing how you think you can reduce your carbon footprint, and help to preserve the environment.
1
N. Holland KGS