Process
INSTRUCTIONS
Before you begin, read the following:
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.
The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.
A carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the primary footprint and the secondary footprint.
1. PRIMARY FOOTPRINT
A Measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane). We have direct control of these.
2. SECONDARY FOOTPRINT
A measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown. To put it very simply ? the more we buy the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.
To learn more, click on the following link:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonfootprint.html
INDIVIDUAL WORK
- Download the "The Green Citizen Action Planner" HERE
- Go to the PRIMARY FOOTPRINT worksheet and follow the included instructions to evaluate the factors in your current lifestyle that contribute to your footprint, the value of your carbon footprint, and changes that you can make.
Suggested Primary Footprint resources:
HomeElectricity --which can include all electrical appliances, lights, electric heating...
Home Heating -- gas, oil or coal
Transportation-- public and private
Holiday Travel
3. Go to the SECONDARY FOOTPRINT worksheet and follow the included instructions to determine aspects of your life that contribute to indirect impacts, and develop alternatives
Suggested Secondary Footprint resources:
Food and Drink: the difference between buying locally or globally can have a significant effect on your carbon footprint.
Clothes and personal effects: local or used goods vs. international goods and manufacturing practices.
Car manufacture and delivery: manufacturing practices, local vs. international.
House building and furnishing: type of manufacturing (deforestation) and local vs. international
Financial services: Where or with what companies you invest your money
Share of public service: What type of services does your municipality offer to the community? Are they environmentaly friendly?
4. Go to the SAVE $ worksheet and follow the included instruction to evaluate 4 factors you've identified in the Carbon Footprint section that need improvement from a cost perspective, and find some cheaper alternatives.
Suggested Money Saving resources:
An Inconvenient Truth - Take Action
Greenpeace Canada - Energy Saving Tips
Reduce Energy Use by 20% at home and on the road
GROUP WORK
- Once you've completed the "Green Citizen Action Planner" create a group of two or three people
- As a team, select of one the changes you've decided to make under direct or indirect impacts
- Design a poster that demonstrates the following:
NOTE: Refer to the Evaluation Rubric for a more detailed evaluation criteria
CONTENT CRITERIA:
i. The PROBLEM / NEED for the change
ii. DESCRIBES the change
iii. REASON for change
iv. MAKING the change
The poster must fit on a standard sized bristol board (23"x34"). Materials used and design is up to you! Marks will be rewarded for creativity and uniqueness.
Suggested Poster Design resources:
Graphic Design Tips:
http://www.ideabook.com/
http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/
http://www.graphicreporter.com/tutorials/design_tutorials.html
Image Resources:
http://www.sxc.hu/
http://search.creativecommons.org/
http://www.flickr.com/
Free Design Software:
Inkscape (Vector Based design) - http://sourceforge.net/projects/inkscape/
Gimp (Pixel Based design) - http://sourceforge.net/projects/gimp-win/
- Once your poster is completed, each group will present a 15-20 minute presentation of their final product to the class discussing the content criteria listed above (the need for the change, description of the change, reason for the change, and how to make the change).