Application 05

 Environmental Science

Air Analysis

  
     
 

1. The Billion Pound Diet - Personal Diet Tally Sheet 

By committing to a few of the energy-saving actions below, you can help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by one billion pounds a year. Your actions will not only improve the environment but will also reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil.

 

     Directions:

          Copy The Billion Pound Diet chart into your seminar report.

          Using the chart check each of the choices you are willing to take to reduce CO2 in the environment.

          Estimate the amount of change you are willing to make.

          Calculate the amount of change this represents for one year. You may wish to consider a daily, weekly, or monthly then convert to yearly.

          Calculate a grand total reflecting your total personal CO2 reduction for one year.  (Copy chart and paste into your report)    

 

 

The Billion Pound Diet

a.

 Drive and Ride Less. I will:

      ___Eliminate ___________ miles of car travel over the next year. (1 lb. of CO2 = 1 mile)

          Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by walking  = _____

b.

Tune Up. I will:

     ___Tune my car and maintain proper tire pressure. (1,000 lbs. of CO2 saved per tune-up)

           Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by tuning-up car  = _____

c.

Recycle. I will:

     ___Recycle _________ aluminum cans (CO2 reduction = 34 lbs. per 100 cans).

     ___Recycle _________ glass bottles (CO2 reduction = 30 lbs. Per 100 bottles).

     ___Recycle _________ lbs. of paper (CO2 reduction = 20 lbs. Per 100 lbs.).

           Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by recycling  = _____

d.

Insulate. I will:

     ___Wrap, insulate, hot-water heater.

            CO2 reduction = 1,200 lbs. for electrical heaters; 400 lbs. for gas heaters.

     ___Insulate the attic of a house. For a 6-room house: CO2 reduction = 1,800 lbs. –

            oil heated; 1,390 lbs.- gas-heated; 4,430 lbs.- electrically

Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by insulating. = _____

e.

Replace Light Bulbs I will:

     ___Replace _________ incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent.

            CO2 reduction = 110 lbs. per light.

     ___Replace _________ high-watt incandescent with lower-watt incandescence.

            Each 10-watt reduction typically eliminates 22 lbs. of CO2 emissions.

 Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by replacing light bulbs. = _____

f.

 Reduce Hot-Water Use. I will:

     ___Wash my clothes in cold water.

            250 lbs. per person with an electric hot-water heater; 110 lbs. with gas.

     ___Install a low-flow showerhead.

            225 lbs. per person with an electric hot-water heater; 99 lbs. with gas.

     ___Turn my hot-water heater down 10 degrees. 240lbs.-electric heater; 106 lbs.- gas.

           Total lbs. of CO2 saved per year by Reducing hot-water use  = _____

g.

Grand Total of CO2 lbs. saved =  ______

 

 

h. According to National Geographic the average American is estimated to be responsible for about 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) per year. What is your percent of reduction of your yearly carbon dioxide emissions?

% reduction = (Grand Total of CO2 ÷ 22,000) * 100

i. Identify at least five additional steps you would be willing take to "Cut Your Yearly CO2 Emissions".

 

 

2. Analyze the Air Quality of your Community 

                Name of your city: _______________________________________  Zip Code: _____________

 

a. Identify a minimum of five industries and their major air pollutants and emissions using the following website www.scorecard.org (You will be amazed at this site!) (Enter your zip code at the top of the screen to obtain the pollution report card. SCROLL down  to  AIR -> Get a list of top polluters-> Click on the company name for a list of pollutants they emit)

 b. How does your county rate in the U.S.,  in terms of the number of people living in areas where cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants exceeds 1 in 10,000? (This will be found under AIR-> Air pollutants That Pose Cancer and Other Health Risks )

For the next three questions go to:  AIR-> Air pollutants That Pose Cancer and Other Health Risks ->How your County Stacks Up then scroll down to Sources Contributing to Health Risks from Hazardous Air Pollutants.

           1) What is the air cancer risk due to mobile sources?  What are mobile sources?

           2) What is the air cancer risk due to area sources? What are area sources?

           3) What is the air cancer risk due to point sources? What are point sources?

 

 c. Identify the main outdoor air pollutants in your community

     (e.g. car emissions, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides...)

d. Consult local officials and records to determine whether outdoor air pollution has gotten better or worse since 1980, and why.

        Useful Website: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends/index.html  

 e. Identify the main indoor air pollutants that may be found in the homes, offices, and stores in your community (TOWN).

To answer this question use the provided link You MIGHT need to click on GO TO TOWN (Be sure to notice the links on the right side of the screen as well. Be sure to click on HOMES at the bottom of the screen and  on the right hand side of the screen click on CHEMICALS at HOME for a list, then do offices & stores, etc....)

Useful Website:  www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov

 

 

3. Summarize the application containing "what you did" and "what you found out" concerning this activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: 20 September 2014