Energy and Environment Lab

Objectives
Give understanding about pros and cons of the main types of energy resources
Create awareness about the main environmental issues related to energy sector
Introduction
There are a lot of ways to get energy for human being use. The main two categories are
Renewable and NonRenewable energy resources.
NonRenewable resources are those that are found as fossils oil, gas, and coal from the
interior of the Earth.
Renewable are those which are provided by wind (above continents and waves on the ocean),
sun, temperature difference within the ocean, streams of rivers, biomass (burning and anaerobic
digestion), tides, and geothermal (heated rocks inside the Earth).
Uranium that is used in nuclear power plants is regarded as nonrenewable as a mineral found in
the Earth crust but the energy that is released by atomic decay is considered as a renewable one.
Each of the energetic resources could be analyzed as that one that could be beneficial for our use
and that one that could put stress on the environment.
Industry and Manufacturing is the largest sector in the US economy in terms of energy use. After
Transportation one and the largest is Residential sector that basically means all types of the
casual energy use by the people. The rates at which all of us consume energy on the daily basis
seem to be not high at the individual level but contribute a lot at the national level. The US is
largest energy resources consumer per capita in the world and the fuel of choice for electrical
production. is coal that is the dirtiest among other types of energy resources (during its burning
the amount of CO2 emissions is 20% higher than if oil is used).
Not only could we be concerned about how much resources we use but what impact on CO2
concentration into the atmosphere we cause.
The purpose of the lab is to create awareness about how much we consume individually and
what are the main ways to reduce our impact that is formulated as CO2 Footprint.
CO2 Audit is designed to make rough estimations on what is ones individual impact from the
energy use in terms of CO2 released during the generation of the electricity or heating energy or
during the combustion of the gasoline in the vehicles engines. The ways to reduce the individual
impact are proposed at the second part of the audit and let students know possible choices that
can help to develop an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Experiment 1
OUR CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING & WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
I. Calculating your Annual CO2 Emissions
Calculate your annual CO2 emissions from your use of various types of energy as well as
products consumed and discarded or recycled. Calculate only your personal production (ex. your
portion of the garbage/electric bill).
Summarize IN A TABLE and give the total CO2 emissions in lbs. AND tons.
1. Automobile: 1/ (---) mpg x 24 lbs/gal x_____ miles/year = ___lbs CO2
2. Airplane travel: 0.9.lbs/mile x _____miles/year = _____lbs CO2
3. Bus: 0.7 lbs/mile x____ miles/year = _____lbs CO2
4. Garbage (average per capita garbage is 5 lbs/day): _____lbs/day x 3 lbs CO2/lb x 365 days
= ____lbs CO2
5. Electricity: _____Kwh per year x 1.7 lbs/Kwh = ____lbs. CO2
ITEM

UNIT

Electricity
Kilowatt-hours
Gasoline
Gallon
Propane
Gallon
Natural Gas
Therms
Trash Discarded pounds
Recycled Items
pounds

lbs. CO2 /Uni t

1.7 lbs/kwh
24 lbs/gal
14 lbs/gal
12 lbs/therms
3 lbs/lb
2 lbs/lb

II. Analysis/pledge for Reducing Annual CO2 Emissions

Tally the reduction in CO2 you are pledging to do below and then summarize them in A
SECOND TABLE giving a total in lbs. AND tons. The amount of CO2 reduction saved per
action is in the parentheses following the description.
1. Automobile
1. Eliminate ______miles of car travel (use lbs/mile).
2. Maintain tire pressure (usually about 32 psi) (250 lbs) or Maintain tire pressure at maximum
pressure shown on tire (usually about 35 psi) (500 lbs).
3. Tune up once a year (900 lbs).
2. Light bulbs
1. Replace _______incandescent lights with compact fluorescents (typical CO2 reduction = 180
lbs per light).

2. Replace ______high-watt incandescent with lower-watt incandescent (each 10-watt reduction

typically eliminates 22 lbs. of C02 emissions).
3. Turn off lights when leaving a room all year (120 lbs/room).
3. Recycle
1. Recycle _____aluminum cans (typical CO2 reduction = 34 lbs per 100 cans).
2. Recycle _______glass bottles (typical C02 reduction = 30 lbs. per 100 bottles).
3. Recycle ______pounds of paper (typical CO2 reduction = 20 lbs. per 100 lbs.)
5
4. Insulate
1. Wrap a home hot-water heater (typical CO2 reduction = 1,200 lbs. for electric heaters; 400 lbs.
for gas heaters).
2. Insulate the attic of a house (for a 6-room house, typical CO2 reduction + 1,800 lbs. if oilheated; 1,390 lbs. if gas heated; 4 430 lbs. if electricity heated/cooled)
5. Reduce garbage by: 0.5 Ib/day (600 #)
6. Reduce Hot-Water Use
1. Wash clothes in cold water (typical CO2 reduction = 250 lbs. per person with an electric hotwater heater; 110 lbs. with gas).
2. Install a low-flow showerhead (typical CO2 reduction = 225 lbs. per person with an electric
hot-water heater; 99 lbs. with gas).
3. Turn hot-water heater down 10 degrees (typical CO2 reduction = 240 lbs. with an electric
heater; 106 lbs. with gas).
7. Trees
a. Plant ______trees (60 lbs/tree)
b. Plant ______shade trees on the east, south or west side of a house to reduce air conditioning
(600 lbs/tree).
8. Air Conditioning (reduction values are given for a single family detached home)
1. Raise thermostat by loF (400 kwh)
2. Shade windows with white drapes, blinds, reflective film or awning (400 kwh).
3. Paint roof white (1,200 kwh).
9. Purchases
1. Trade in car for one with more mpg (about 700 lbs for each extra mpg).
2. Buy new energy-efficient refrigerator (1,000 lbs)
3. Buy new air conditioner with SEER of 12 instead of 8 (3,700 lbs).
10. Donate money to preserve tropical rainforest ($100 per acre, 240, 0001bs .per acre -one
time reduction only) .

11. Other -Describe and Calculate

Pledged Signature___