Global warming links
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Global warming links |
PROBLEM STATEMENT: How can I best lower my greenhouse gas emissions?
BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH: Even though most atmospheric scientists, the US government and the United Nations are all actively seeking lowering of greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat global warming, there is still some resistance in the industrial sector and among scientists employed by them. The
main opposition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions centers around the economic cost of changing the way our society runs; specifically the way it runs on fossil fuels.There is little debate however, that the industrialized nations can use energy more efficiently than they are now. By becoming more efficient with our energy use, we can reduce both our energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
For example, as a result of measures undertaken to improve energy efficiency, Tri-Star Industries reduced its annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 181,000 pounds while saving $13,352 in energy costs. In another example, Warner Lambert, the drug company, upgraded the lighting at its Morris Plains, New Jersey facility and is saving $136,000 a year on its energy costs. And that also translates into a reduction of 2.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 10 million grams of sulfur dioxide, and 4.3 million grams of nitrogen oxide EACH YEAR. (
http://www.epa.gov/r02earth/epd/decp2.htm and http://www.epa.gov/region01/pr/files/ t_pr081597d.html)In this investigation, you will identify ways that you can lower your share of GHG emissions with little or no additional cost.
HYPOTHESIS: Use your list of 20 ways you put GHG into the atmosphere and your investigation into fuel rates to identify three methods to reduce the amount of CO2 and other GHG that you put into the air.
TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS
4.1 Materials: Rates of fuel and electrical power loads,
energy conversion chart, energy conservation materials, EPA information on CT effects of global warming, other:
4.2 Controls/variables: Energy use is varies widely from person to person, but power generation and transportation are major sources of GHG. Any major reduction of fuel use for these purposes will reduce GHG emissions.
4.3 Procedure: Analyze how much fuel is consumed for each of your three GHG sources.
Example problem: A typical clothes dryer uses 5000 watts of electricity, so for each hour that it runs consumes 5 kilowatt/hours of electricity, at a cost to the homeowner of :
5 kw/hr times $0.20 per kw/hr = $1.00 cost per hour.
to generate this electricity, the power company has to burn a fuel or use nuclear power to create approximately:
(5
kw/hr) * (11600 BTU's (heat) per generated kw/hr) = 58000 BTUs required.If they burn #2 oil to generate this at 75% efficiency, then they use:
(58000 BTU) / (138,690 BTUs per gal) / (.75) = 0.56 gallons of fuel oil.
If you hang the clothes on a clothesline to dry, you prevent about half a gallon of fuel from being burned. If you vent the dryer exhaust into the house, how much oil would you save? What problems may be created by doing this?
Work with 2 partners to calculate energy savings for three different energy conserving ideas.
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