Carbon Footprint (11/27 - 12/1)

Summary:

A carbon footprint is important so that we know the total greenhouse gas emissions of an item so that we can work on reducing that amount. Most of the greenhouse gases from transportation are CO2 emissions. The amount of CO2 emissions from transportation vary based on the mode of transportation and the distance that was traveled. 

This week, I learned how to calculate the carbon footprint of a product by figuring out the manufactured location, the store where the materials were bought, and the mileage in between. We used this information to calculate our carbon footprint caused by the travel of our materials. We assumed that the objects that traveled within the same continent traveled by train, if they are on different continents, they traveled by airplane, if they are within the same country, they travel by truck, and travel between the retailer and the school will be by car.

Once we figured out the mileage between the two destinations, we multiplied by a number depending on what transportation was used. If the materials were traveling by car, we multiplied 0.41 to the number of miles. For a truck, we multiplied the mileage by 0.17, and for an airplane, we multiplied the distance (in miles) by 0.8. The number we were multiplying by depended on the amount of CO2 emissions that it produced.

Once we figured out the mileage and CO2 emissions, we added them up so that we could determine the total mileage and emissions to create our product. To figure out the emissions to create one product, simply divide by the number of products you can make with that specific amount of materials.

SP2: Developing and Using Models

This week, we constructed and created a map to show the distance that each of our materials traveled and the amount of CO2 emissions that were produced. This helped us visualize the "story" of our product and all of the transportation and emissions that were caused and created. This also helped us create an explanation of how to create and calculate a carbon footprint. With this visual map, we could understand more about the emissions created by transportation of various items. We also had to refine our map based on exactly where we bought our products and where they were manufactured.

XCC: Systems and System Models

This week, I noticed the system of our materials and how the transportation and travel distance for an item can affect the amount of CO2 emissions produced. The various parts of this system are the mileage, mode of transportation, the manufactured and store location, and more. This system helps us understand what the carbon footprint of a product is and how that affects the environment. This is an advantage so that we can help decrease the carbon emissions so that we can have a lesser impact on the environment.

Multiplier

This week, I was a creator. When working on our Carbon Footprint map, I said: "We can do it." When my partner was asking a question about the map and how we will do it, I made sure they understood what I was saying and I gave them a clear response to their question. I contributed all of what I knew about the transportation of the materials in our product to help us complete the map to our best effort. I also did my best effort and communicated my findings clearly and give my best response to the question at hand.