Eleanor Quick

Physics 6th
Quackenbush
5/31/15

Physics Waiver Paragraphs

Carbon Footprint:
A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon
compounds emitted due to the use of fossil fuels by a person, organization, etc.
The carbon footprint is important to know for environmental protection because if
humans have too big of a carbon footprint, it can alter the natural carbon cycle
found in our atmosphere. This will add more carbon to the atmosphere and will take
the ability away from things like forests to remove the extra carbon. Knowing our
carbon footprint is important in order to keep the natural balance of carbon in our
atmosphere, because if humans dont keep the balance, processes like global
warming will occur.
My Energy Usage:
Based on my pie chart, about half (53%) of my energy consumption is from
electric air conditioning and roughlty 47% is from applaicnes and lighting. My
carbon footprint is roughly 4,144.55 pounds, which is a little more then two tons,
however this calculation does not include all the things I use that emitt carbon,
which means my carbon footprint is quite a bit more. Comapred to U.S. residental
averages, my footprint is way less because mine is about two tons in a year, and
the average Americans household for a year is 48 tons. However mine would be
quite a bit more if this project included everything in our households that emitted
carbon. My energy consumption compared to the average Americans is pretty
different in air conditioning. Most Americans are around 6-7% while mine accounts
for 53%. Appliances and lighting is pretty similar to the averages because mine
accounts for 47%, while most Americans consumption is around 40%.

Average Energy Consumption

Electric Air Conditioning (kW)

47%

Appliances and Lighting (kW)

53%

Reducing our Carbon Footprint:

There are many ways Americans can reduce their carbon footprint in many
areas of their life. One way you could is by carpooling when you travel, as well as
riding a bike or riding a train. If its less than a mile, walk! By carpooling just once a

Eleanor Quick
Physics 6th
Quackenbush
5/31/15
week, you will emit 20% less carbon, and even more if you carpool more than once.
I came up with my estimation by seeing that cars usually emit about their weight in
carbon, so by not driving to work one out of the five days in the work week, it would
use 20% less carbon than normal. By walking to work every day of the week, it
would cut almost 100% of the carbon you would have emitted from your car. I came
up with this estimation because if you dont drive your car at all during the work
week, then all that carbon you would have emitted is gone, leaving you with a 100%
decrease.
Offsetting our Carbon Footprint:
One way to offset your carbon footprint is by planting trees. This is very
important because for all the carbon you emit, trees can absorb as much as 48
pounds of carbon per year and can usually absorb about 1 ton in its lifetime.
Because the average American emits 48 tons per year, one tree would only reduce
your footprint by a little, less than 1%, meaning you would have to plant a lot of
trees to offset it completely. I came up with this by calculating what percent a tree
would absorb in 1 ton, and then dividing it by 48 because we emit 48 tons per year.
Another way to offset your carbon footprint is by using solar panels. By using a
5,000 watt solar panel, it will prevent 5,760 pounds (roughly 3 tons) of carbon from
going into the atmosphere per year. Since the average American emits 48 tons per
year, one of these solar panels will reduce your footprint by 6.25%. I got this
estimate by calculating what 1% of 48 is, and then dividing it by 3 because there
are 3 tons out of the 48 saved.

Citations:
"Carbon Dioxide Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.
<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html>.

"Five Unexpected Benefits of Carpooling | How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." PlanetSave. N.p.,
08 Nov. 2012. Web. 01 June 2015. <http://planetsave.com/2012/11/08/five-unexpected-benefitsof-carpooling-how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/>.

"Get The Feed." Tree Math: Solar Panels vs. Trees, Whats the Carbon Trade-off? New England Clean
Energy, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.
<http://newenglandcleanenergy.com/energymiser/2012/12/13/tree-math-solar-panels-vs-treeswhats-the-carbon-trade-off/>.

Eleanor Quick
Physics 6th
Quackenbush
5/31/15

"Tree Facts." Untitled Document. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

<http://www.ncsu.edu/project/treesofstrength/treefact.htm>.

"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." Residential
Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.
<http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/>.