Energy Consumption and Conservation

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  • Lesson Activities
    • Introduction
    • Energy and Climate Change
    • Our Contribution to Climate Change
    • Your Carbon Footprint
    • Calculate Your Carbon Footpint
    • Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
    • Personal Conservation Commitment
    • Your Challenge: Create a Public Service Announcement
    • Explore Possibilities
    • Select an Approach and Develop a Design Proposal
    • Make a Prototype and Test Your Design
    • Refine Your Design and Create Your Final PSA
    • Communicate Your Results
  • Student Resources
    • Table of Contents
    • Glossary
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  • Final Project
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Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Were you surprised to learn about the size of your carbon footprint? In the U.S., the average person releases 27 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

It is clear that global climate change is a big problem—but each person can still make a difference. Every time a person makes an effort to reduce his or her carbon footprint and focus on energy conservationenergy conservation, less carbon dioxide is put into the air—and that helps to lessen the impact of global climate change.

notepad that says go green
Making energy conservation a priority can help to reduce your carbon footprint.

What can you personally do to shrink your carbon footprint? Your first challenge in this lesson is to develop a personal conservation commitment .

Explore the following resources to get started. Take notes in the "Reducing Your Carbon Footprint" graphic organizer on page 5 of your Engineering Portfolio.

> Understanding Efficiency opens in new window
(from The National Academies)

> What You Can Do At Home opens in new window
(from the United States Environmental Protection Agency)

> Green Tips: Save Power opens in new window
(from National Geographic Kids)

Teacher Note

Ask students to turn to page 5 of their Engineering Portfolios. After they have explored the websites, ask them to share their research and create a class list of strategies to reduce students' carbon footprint. Students should be able to refer to the class list as they complete the next activity.

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Essential Questions

  • How does our use of energy impact the environment?
  • How can people reduce their impact on the environment?

STEM Career
Connection

photo of Michele Stuart Meet industrial engineer Michele Stuart.

Many companies are trying to reduce their carbon footprints by using less energy or recycling more waste. Industrial engineers can help.

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