Pollution

This is my final action project for my fuel class. This unit was about different ways how pollution is a problem and the ways we can help reverse the process we’ve created. For this action project I looked at the different ways I could stop my own pollution emissions, and how much pollution I give off in a year. I showed one of my actions that I would use to help reverse pollution using a diagram I made with google drawings. My favorite part of this project was seeing how other people in my class gave off pollution compared to the amount I gave off. The only problem I had while making this project was that my computer stop working so I had to finish it on my phone. I eventually got a new computer, and besides that this AP was pretty fun.

M.J.F

3-8-16

Fuel

Saving the World

Pollution is just contaminants that are put into the earth leading to the harm of the planet. Pollution is released into the atmosphere in many different ways. A common way pollution can occur is through gases that we emit through vehicles. A second way we give off pollution is through making products, because they release gases like CO2 which gets caught in the carbon cycle. Pollution is also created when we don’t compost food. Decomposers can’t break down food when they’re put in landfills because the chemicals in other waste kill the bacteria that should decompose the food.

I release 15.3 tons of carbon per year if I continue to live my life the same way I've been. My annual greenhouse gases are equivalent to about 0.711 garbage trucks of waste recycled instead of land-filled. My annual CO2 emissions could compare to 578 propane cylinders used for home barbecues. To offset the carbon emissions that I give off per yearI have to plant 356 trees. The site used the equation 23.2 lbs C/tree × (44 units CO2 ÷ 12 units C) × 1 metric ton ÷ 2,204.6 lbs = 0.039 metric ton CO2 per urban tree planted. This means that each tree that I plant will take in 23.2 pounds of carbon. Then they divided the molecular weight of carbon dioxide to carbon. After that the website multiplied that with the ratio of 1 metric ton per pound.

I have come up with 3 actions that I could do to help reduce the atmosphere’s carbon ppm (parts per million). My first action to change would be to insulate my house which can reduce the cost of my house’s cooling as low as 90%. That would be great for the atmosphere and my family's wallet. The second way to help reduce the carbon in the earth's atmosphere would be to drive a Tesla electric car, because it gives no CO2 emissions off. A car that uses gas releases 20 pounds of carbon per gallon, and on average 6 tons of carbon is released in a year by a single gas using car. This can also benefit my family specifically because we wouldn’t have to pay for gas which can cost a lot of money. My last idea to reduce the amount of carbon is to travel less, meaning not flying. This would lower my CO2 emissions by 53.3 pounds per air mile, as one air mile produces 53.3 pounds of carbon dioxide. I travel about 1632.14 miles per year so by taking a plane I give off 86993.062 pounds of carbon.

MJF (2016) ”Action 3 Diagram”

My actions will help reduce the global carbon ppm ​from 400 to 350 since that is about the amount that is healthy to the earth because they are all more efficient ways of what I do now. I won’t make much of a difference just by myself, but I could influence or inspire people to follow some of my actions which can cause a massive chain reaction of influencing others which would create an astronomical change in the earth's atmosphere’s carbon ppm.

Works Cited

1."GHG Equivalencies Calculator - Calculations and References." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 8 Oct. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

2."Powerwall." Tesla. 2016. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

3."First Understand, Then Destroy, Your Home Heating Bill." Mr. Money Mustache.Money Mustache, 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.