Environmental Science 101
Lifestyle change assignment- 50 points
The Lifestyle Project is a way for you to learn about environmental alternatives by modifying your
own lifestyle. It is a three-week exercise for you to reduce your impact on the environment by
changing the way in which you live from day to day. The goal is for you to make
a specific,
reasonable, but substantial goal to reduce your "personal environmental footprint" by
modifying a regular habit that impacts the environment. (A list of ideas & inspiring photos
are at the end.)
Consider how your lifestyle is linked to direct and indirect environmental problems:
- use of water supply;
- fuel/gas for vehicles and home heating
- electricity (25% comes from burning coal; and hydro-dams have impacts too);
- pollution to air, water, soil from driving, using chemicals, sewage processing, etc.
- solid wastes that must be trucked/trained to landfills or processed for recycling;
- impacts of the food and products you use: mining, growing, shipping, processing, etc.
Your goal should:
√ Involve some measurable components that you can keep track of over five weeks and/or
get some background measurements.
√ involve something you do often enough to note a measurable change by within five
weeks .
√ require YOU to be the agent of change. Please do not coerce your parents or roommates
into make changes for you. However if everyone agrees to some changes, then that is fine.
√ be made with an honest intention to make the change, given your time and budget.
EXAMPLE: If you decide to take shorter showers, record how long a
couple “normal” showers take during the week (some days you may have
quicker ones than other days due to schedule, or location.) Then take
a normal length shower using a normal flow, trapping the water in the
tub. Use a measuring cup to ladle the water out into the sink, and find
out how much water you used. If you don’t have a tub, you can perhaps trap the water into
a Rubbermaid tub or bucket? Now you can calculate that you used x gallons used per y
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minutes. To be more accurate, you should probably do that a couple times, since we don’t
always have the same flow rate. Also, you can’t really do this at the gym, but perhaps you
can estimate whether the flow rate seems about the same or not. But the measurements
are better than nothing! Now keep track of how long your showers are for the remaining
weeks. Calculate how much water you save over a period of time taking shorter showers.
TIME LINE:
A. Turn in document #1: YOUR PLAN (5 pts). This brief but thoughtful write up is due
Oct 2nd. Include the following:
1- which habit you intend to modify;
2- how you intend to modify it;
3- what aspect(s) of the change you think will be measurable;
4- what kinds of environmental problems should be reduced by your modifications.
B. Collect baseline data using the baseline data worksheet (10 pts). Due Oct 16th.
Baseline data worksheet starts on page 5
C. Collect data. Change your habit and collect some sort of meaningful, measurable data.
If you need help or need to make a change, let me know.
D. By Oct 30th, your final report (35 pts).
Include the following:
1- INTRODUCTION
a) Briefly describe how your habit change should result in positive environmental
impacts. Dive into the topic and explain it. Don’t just say “it will save energy” or “it
will save water”. Why is it important to do that? What IMPACTS are there to
energy use or water use or the other impacts your habit contributes to? (8 pt).
b) Briefly describe other non-environmental benefits to this habit change (4 pt)
2- METHODS: Briefly describe the specifics of your project and how you collected data.
Did you measure waterflow using a scoop or the Rubbermaid method? How did you recyele?
What did you recycle?
(4 pt)
3. RESULTS: List your raw data. Then, calculate some summary figures, like average
values over a period of time. Contrast the values for the situation BEFORE you changed
your habit to AFTER you changed the habit. They might reflect things you DID or what
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you DIDN’T DO (e.g. # hamburgers you didn’t eat/week, or number of gallons you saved
each week, or miles you didn’t drive/week) . Provide some photos of the process. (10 pt…not
just for the write up but for the implied effort to conduct the project)
4. DISCUSSION: Relate you efforts to the real world by providing at least three
different, important, relevant, recent statistics from at least one trustworthy source.
Please summarize in your own words- don’t just copy and paste information. Note the name
of the organization or person, not just the URL. (6 pt )
5. CONCLUSION: a note about how the process went overall and what you might do in the
future. What difficulties did you face? (3 pt)
Examples of changes that might be measurable and achievable: (I bet you can think of others!)
- eat less meat. This is probably
the #1 thing that would have the
most impact.
- buy more locally-grown foods.
- buy more organic foods
- waste less food.
- eat less fast food… this has
complex effects, but important
ones. (Your write up can focus on
some aspect of the impacts from
the kinds of foods consumed to the overly packaged products.)
- throw compostables into a worm bin or compost pile.
-bring your own container to restaurants for leftovers
- drive fewer miles and/or use less fuel and make less pollution per mile
driven (fewer needless trips; consolidate errands; ask others to pick stuff up; use mass transit, or
carpool, or a bike, or walk more regularly, use a more environmentally-friendly car if you have a
choice…)
-purchase secondhand items or items that are made from recycled materials
- use less water (shorter showers, full laundry and dishwashing loads, turn water off when not using…)
- use less paper (take all notes on the back of used paper, print on both sides, print less stuff).
- use fewer beverage containers (purchased water, pop, coffee rather than bringing your own).
- use and waste less other stuff (shopping bags, napkins, take-out styrofoam, etc.)
- recycle more where ever you find yourself (not JUST at home).
- start a better recycling system at your home, work, church, or apartment. This might mean getting
some information from the local recycling company and convincing your manager to approve the
new system and you may need to play some other roles in the process.
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- dry clothes out on a line for at least part of the drying process;
-start a mini garden to grow some of your own good
- turn off lights when not in use;
- connect your electronics (e.g. stereo, TV, computer, cell phone charger) into
on/off/surge protector switches to stop energy loss. (You can check out a Kill A Watt
meter from some public libraries and measure electricity use!)
- switch a few incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents but beware that these
bulbs sometimes do not endure many quick on/off’s and if they burn out, they are
hazardous waste due to mercury.
- habitually walk somewhere each week and pick up litter.
- habitually pick up your dog’s wastes.
As I listed some potential habits, I thought of some other ideas but they seemed
less “measurable”, but maybe you could find some aspect of these ideas and
measure their potential future impacts.
- cancel junk mail by calling/writing each company and asking to get off their
mailing lists. The US Postal Service probably has information on their webpage
about national anti-junkmail lists too.
- start buying more earth-friendly and healthier products (or making your own)
- resolve not to clean your vehicles with toxic substances nor let the run off go into the storm drains.
- if your vehicles leak fluids, resolve to get them fixed – maybe you could measure the drips
beforehand? Hope it doesn’t drip THAT badly!
-check the air pressure in your tires to make sure that they are properly inflated
- fertilize your yard with something greener than commercial fertilizer and toxins (e.g.organic compost
or TAGRO instead of inorganic fertilizer or weed-n-feed).
- convert part of your yard or patio into a food garden or adopt a plot at a community garden.
- do all the research to line up getting a home insulation package.
- learn about the new E-waste collection policy, and educate friends, family and neighbors about it,
offering to do a pick up for them. (Goodwill accepts E-waste but check out which kinds are
accepted).
- keep the house a little cooler/warmer depending on the season
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Name_________________
LIFESTYLE PROJECT
Part 1 - Baseline Data
10 points. Due Oct 16, 2012
Adapted from Karin B. Kirk and John J. Thomas
The lifestyle project is an opportunity for you to modify the impacts of your lifestyle to the
environment. It will continue for three weeks. Part 1 of this project involves recording your
baseline activities in three of the categories given above. The baseline is your "normal" behavior.
Part 2 will be calculations of those impacts, and Part 3 will be our attempts to minimize the
environmental impacts of our lifestyles.
We’ll be looking at several types of impacts from our lifestyles:
1. Energy consumption
A. Transportation
B. Industrial consumption
C. Residential consumption
2. Water consumption
3. Food consumption
4. Waste production
We will start by measuring our baseline activities over a 48 hour period. First, you must choose
your categories. Everyone must do all three parts of category 1 (A, B, and C) - energy consumption.
In addition to that, you should choose the other categories (water, food and waste consumption)
from the remaining three that corresponds to what habit you want to change. Follow the directions
below for the three categories you choose.
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1. Energy Consumption – EVERYONE MUST DO THESE SECTIONS
1A. Transportation
For a 48 hour period, record the number of miles driven or ridden in a car. Record each trip
separately.
Example
Mon.
House to McDonalds
2 miles
Campus to library and back
6 miles
Mon
Tues
1B. Industrial Energy Consumption
Much of the energy used during industrial processes is reflected in the products we buy. For a 48
hour period, record everything you buy, except food.
Example
Mon.
T-shirt, CD
Tues.
two pens, magazine, note
pad
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Mon
Tues
1C. Residential Energy Use
Hot WaterRecord the amount of hot water you use in any of the following ways.
Day 1
Day 2
hot shower
_________
minutes
_________
minutes
sink
_________
minutes
_________
minutes
Laundry (hot)
___________
loads
___________
loads
Laundry
(warm)
___________
loads
___________
loads
dishwasher
___________
loads
___________
loads
other
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ElectricityRecord the amount of time in hours that any of the following appliances are operating.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 1
Day 2
refrigerator
(large)
______
______
microwave
______
______
refrigerator
(med)
______
______
stove top
______
______
refrigerator
(small)
______
______
oven
______
______
washing
machine
______
______
clock
______
______
clothes dryer
______
______
dryer
______
______
incandescent
lights
______
______
iron
______
______
fluorescent
lights
______
______
hair dryer
______
______
Radio/CD
______
______
electric
razor
______
______
TV
______
______
fan
______
______
DVD
______
______
humidifier
______
______
Game machine
______
______
blender
______
______
other
______
______
computer
______
______
other
______
______
other
_______
______
______
other
__________
______
______
other
_______
______
______
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2. Food
For the 48 hour period, record everything you eat and drink!
Example
Mon.
Breakfast
bagel with cream cheese, tea
Break
orange
Lunch
grilled cheese, salad, 2 glasses root beer,
brownie
Break
Hershey bar, Snapple
Dinner
3 slices pizza, 2 glasses juice
Break
ice cream, coffee
Bed time
glass of water
3. Water
Record your water usage in the chart below.
Day 1
Day 2
shower (minutes)
______
______
bath (minutes the tap
runs)
______
______
sink (minutes the tap
runs)
______
______
toilet flushes
______
______
dishwasher loads
______
______
washing machine
loads
______
______
other
______________
______
______
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4. Waste
Record everything you throw out or recycle in a 48 hour period. Keep the recycling in a separate
category.
Example
Garbage
CD wrapper, plastic bag, juice box, candy bar
wrapper, pizza box, envelope, paper cup with lid and
straw, paper plate.
Recycling
soda bottle, 12 sheets paper, cardboard box
Note:
BE HONEST! You will not be graded or judged on your use of energy or creation of garbage. This
part of the exercise is simply to establish what your normal habits are, for your own purposes. If
you are not honest on this part of the project, it will throw off you results for the remainder of
the project. I will be using this sheet to see how you did. So just record it all, and don't worry
about how scary it looks when it's down on paper!
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LIFESTYLE PROJECT
Part 2 - Baseline Data Calculations
Now that you have recorded your activities for two days, you can translate your actions into
figures. Use the data, equations and examples below to quantify some of your environmental
impacts.
1. Energy Consumption
1A. Transportation
total miles driven
—————————————— = gallons of gas used
gas mileage of your car (miles/gallon)
gallons of gas x 125,000 BTUs/gallon = total BTUs
Example:
23 miles
——————— = 0.8 gallons
28 miles/gallon
0.8 gal x 125,000 BTU/gal = 102,678 BTUs
Total Miles I drove=
Total gallons of gas used=
Total BTU’s=
1B. Industrial Energy Consumption
This is not something that can be easily quantified, so just record the list of products that you
purchased.
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1C. Residential Energy Use
Hot WaterMultiply each water usage by the appropriate flow rate (in gallons/minute) to determine the total
gallons of water heated. My water heater heats the water to approximately 140 degrees F, and the
water enters the system at 55 degrees. To raise the temperature of one gallon of water by 85
degrees requires 440 BTU. To determine your total energy usage for hot water heating, multiply
by 440.
Example: I took a ten minute shower
10 min. x 5 gal/min. = 50 gal
50 gal x 440 BTU/gal = 22,000 BTU
hot shower _________ minutes x 3 gallons/minute = _____________ gallons
sink _________ minutes x 2 gallons/minute = ______________gallons
laundry (hot) _________ minutes x 25 gallons/load = ______________gallons
laundry (warm) _________ minutes x 10 gallons/load = ______________gallons
dishwasher _________ minutes x 12 gallons/load = ______________gallons
other ____________________ gallons other ____________________ gallons
TOTAL _________________ Gallons x 440 BTU/gal = _____________________ BTU
ElectricityFor each of the appliances you used, multiply the number of hours used by the number of watts.
Then divide that number by 1000 to get kilowatt-hours (KWH). Each kilowatt-hour is equivalent to
3412 BTU, so multiply KWH by 3412 to find BTU.
Example: I watched TV for 1.5 hours
1.5 H x 300 W = 450 W
450 W
———— = 0.45 KWH
1000
0.45 KWH x 3412 BTU/KWH = 1535 BTU
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If you want to find out what the wattage (W) is for something that is not given below (indicated by
a blank instead of a number) then look on the back or bottom of the item, and it usually is written
there. If it does not indicate the wattage, then look for the amperage (A). The number of amps
multiplied by 120 (volts) is equal to the wattage.
Example: this computer uses 1 amp x 120 volts = 120 watts
Wattage
Wattage
Refrigerator (large)
750
Microwave
Refrigerator (medium dorm
size)
330
Stove (electric)
12,000
Refrigerator (small dorm size)
300
Oven
12,000
Washing machine
375
Clock
4
Dryer (electric)
5,000
Iron
1,000
Hair dryer
1,600
Incandescent lights (wattage
on bulb)
______
1,450
Fluorescent lights
18
Electric razor
______
Radio (clock or other)
20
Fan
______
Portable CD/tape player (box)
24
Humidifier
______
Stereo (full size)
80
Blender
______
Computer
120-240
TV
VCR/DVD
Answering machine
Dishwasher
Coffee maker
300
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Printer
5 watts off
30 watts
printing
______
Other
___________
______
1,200
Other
___________
______
750
Other
___________
______
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2. Food
It's hard to quantify how much energy and resources go into what we eat, so we're just going to
make some general observations. Generally, the less processed a food is, the less energy goes into
making it; so fruits and vegetables require the lowest energy input (and waste output) per calorie.
A highly processed food (twinkies, for example) requires more energy input and waste output per
calorie compared to a more simple food like an apple. The category of food with the highest
environmental toll in terms of energy and water input and waste output is meat. For example, it
take 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. This is because energy and water must
first go into the production of grain crops, which are then fed to the livestock. Most animals are
about 10 percent efficient at converting the energy from eating plants into muscle. The other 90
percent is used in the daily activities of the animal or is dissipated as heat. So this means that it
takes approximately ten times the resources to produce meat as it does to produce vegetables.
Another factor with food is the transportation. An apple grown nearby will have a much lower
energy cost than one that’s shipped from the southern hemisphere.
To record your food intake, break down all the foods you ate into four categories: unprocessed
(fruits, vegetables, whole grains), minimally processed (pasta, bread), highly processed (twinkies,
cheese doodles), and meats. For each item, put an “L” if that item was grown locally (within a 100
mile radius).
3. Water
Use the flow rates given below to find your total water usage
shower __________minutes x 3 gal/min. = _______________ gallons
bath ____________ minutes the tap runs x 3 gal/min. = _______________ gallons
sink ________ minutes x 2 gal/min. = _______________ gallons
toilet flushes __________ x 6 gallons each flush = _______________ gallons
dishwasher loads__________ x 12 gallons/load = _______________ gallons
washing machine loads ________ x 40 gallons/load = _______________ gallons
other _________ gallons
TOTAL ______________ gallons
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4. Waste
This is something we don't really need to quantify, because we can keep track of it by listing the
items individually. If you really wanted to quantify it, you could weigh the amount of stuff you
throw out, but it's probably easier to just write it all down. So just record the list of garbage,
recycling, and compost that you generated over the two day period.
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