INTRODUCTION

Through the Carbon Footprint unit, you will elaborate on your carbon footprint related to your daily household activities and transportation. You will elaborate on the annual CO₂ emissions by your country. Afterward, you will work on how you contribute to CO₂ emissions, calculating your carbon footprint. At the end of this unit, you will realize if the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) affects CO₂ emissions.

Link for the LePlanner scenario.

Activity 1

In the previous Unit you investigated the correlation between temperature rise and the increasing CO₂ emissions.

Why have CO₂  emissions risen over the last 60 years?

Click on the image below and trace your country’s annual CO₂ emissions caused by anthropogenic activities.

Activity 2

The daily activities with the highest CO₂ emissions are urban transportation and the operation of household appliances.

What means of transport do you use in your daily life?

Please, download the CarbonDigitalis app to your Android device, using the following link or QR code.

• Using the CarbonDigitalis app calculate the total amount of CO₂ (Kg) emitted depending on the means of transport and the kilometers you travel in a day.
• What devices do you use daily?
• Rank them in descending order based on which one you think contributes the most to CO₂ emissions .
• Using the CarbonDigitalis app calculate the total amount of CO₂ (Kg) emitted by the devices that you use per day.
• Which device that you use is responsible for the largest amount of CO₂ emissions?
• Using the CarbonDigitalis app calculate the total amount of CO₂ (Kg) emitted by your daily activities.

Activity 3

Share your results in the menti polls and discuss them in view of the results of your colleagues.

• Your total amount of CO₂ (kg) emitted by the means of transport you typically use in a working day
• Your total amount of CO₂ (kg) emitted by the household appliances that you use per day
• The most highly CO₂ emitting appliance
• Your overall amount of CO₂ (kg) emitted by your daily activities

Activity 4

Click on the image below and calculate the average daily CO₂ emissions per citizen of your country.

 

Now take the following quiz:

• Could you propose ways of reducing the overall amount of CO₂ emissions? Discuss with your group and write down your conclusions.
• What are the possible reasons for any noticed divergence between your country’s per capita CO₂ emissions and your own?
  Could you propose ways of reducing the overall amount of CO₂ emissions?

Activity 5

The table below illustrates the emissions of CO₂ (in gr) produced per kWh for four different types of RES.

Pick one of these RES.

Calculate what the total daily CO₂ emissions from your household activities would be, if the production of the respective amount of energy was based solely on this type of RES:

Hint:

[latex]\frac{{CO_{2}}\text{ from the use of RES}}{CO_{2}\text{ from fuel mix of each country}}\ast \text{ calculated total daily } \text{}{CO_{2}} \text{ emissions}[/latex]

Also calculate the percentage of your CO₂ emissions reduction by using RES.

Activity 6

Based on the above and taking into account EU and G20 leaders decisions for reducing CO₂ emissions by 55% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, what could be done at individual and national level to achieve the above goal?

Discuss with your group and answer the following questions:

• Taking into account policy decisions that aim at reducing CO₂ emissions, what could be done at individual level to achieve this goal?
• Taking into account policy decisions that aim at reducing CO₂ emissions, what could be done at national level to achieve this goal?