American Chemical Society

Reducing Your
Carbon Footprint

Chemists Celebrate Earth

Day 2009

American Chemical Society, Office of Community Activities, 1-800-

227-5558 x6097 or earthday@acs.org
Visit www.acs.org/earthday for hands-on activities, contests, local
contacts and additional information!
 Atmospheric Properties & Processes

Reference: International Global Atmospheric Chemistry www.igac.noaa.gov/

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 Human Impact on the Carbon Cycle

“The red arrow, representing rapid fossil fuel burning, indicates the main way in which
humans affect the natural carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide (CO 2) levels are increasing because
the natural system cannot keep pace with this new emission source. The natural processes
that permanently remove this additional carbon - ocean uptake and sedimentation - work
extremely slowly.”

Reference: Upsetting the Carbon Balance – Exhibit on Global Warming at Koshland Science
Museum www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/carbon03.jsp
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 Major Human-Produced
Greenhouse Gases

“Many natural and human-made gases contribute to the greenhouse effect that warms the
Earth's surface. Water vapor (H2O) is the most important, followed by: Carbon Dioxide (CO 2),
Methane (CH4), and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

This diagram shows the relative importance of the major human-produced greenhouse
gases to current warming. CO2 is the most important followed in descending order by CH 4,
CFCs, Ozone (O3), and Nitrous Oxide (N2O).”

Reference: CO2 and Other Greenhouse Gas Variations – Exhibit on Global Warming at Koshland
Science Museum www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/causes02.jsp
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 Human Activity and
Greenhouse Gases-1997 Data

“The world’s economy runs on carbon: the

“fuel” in fossil fuels. Coal, oil, and natural
gas contribute energy to nearly every
human endeavor in industrialized nations,
and carbon dioxide (CO2) is a by-product
of burning these fuels.

This graph containing data for the U.S.

illustrates how thoroughly fossil fuels and
CO2 emissions are integrated into
American life.

CO2 contributes more to the recent

increase in greenhouse warming than any Reference: Human Activity and Greenhouse Gases – Exhibit on Global
Warming at Koshland Science Museum
other gas. CO2 persists in the atmosphere www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/causes03.jsp

longer and longer as concentrations

continue to rise.”
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 Human Activity and Greenhouse Gases
– Estimation Using 2000 Data

• Global greenhouse gas emissions in the

year 2000 weighted by their global warming
potential and organized by sector. Based on
estimation by the Emission Database for
Global Atmospheric Research version 3.2,
fast track 2000 project
www.mnp.nl/edgar/model/v32ft2000edgar
.

• Reference: Global Warming Art Greenhouse

Gas by Sector
www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:
Greenhouse_Gas_by_Sector_png

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 Reducing Other Greenhouse Gases

“Methane is the second most significant cause

of greenhouse warming, behind carbon dioxide.
Cows are one of the world's greatest methane
emitters because they exhale methane, a
byproduct of the digestion of their grassy diet.
The sheer size of cow herds makes a significant
contribution to global warming.”

Source: Reducing Other Greenhouse Gases – Exhibit on

Global Warming at Koshland Science Museum
www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/causes04.jsp

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 What You Can Do to Reduce
Your Footprint

• Whether you are at home, buying food, on the road or at work, the energy you
use in your daily life has an impact on climate change.

Reference: Global Warming – Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – Take Action

democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/globalwarming/ad14/action.aspx

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 Take Action - At the Office

• Recycle glass, paper, aluminum and plastics.

• Buy recycled paper products and supplies.

• Telecommute if possible.

• Turn down the air conditioning.

• Shutting off your computer at closing time will reduce its carbon dioxide
emissions by 83%.

• Install a programmable light timer that reduces light usage during off-
peak hours.

• Install a programmable thermostat

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 Take Action - Inside the Home

• Get a home energy audit to find out if your home is poorly

insulated or energy efficient. Many utility companies offer this
service for free. Go to www.energystar.gov for more information or
contact your local utility company.

• Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact

fluorescent bulb (CFL). Check for possible rebates from your utility
company.

• Move your thermostat down 2° in the winter and up 2° in the

summer.

• Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner.

• Install window shading.

• Install a programmable thermostat.

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 Take Action - Inside the Home

• Look for the Energy Star® label when choosing appliances.

• Use less hot water, by installing a low flow showerhead and

washing your clothes in cold or warm water, instead of hot water.

• Turn off and unplug appliances not in use. Avoid using your
appliances during peak hours, from 4pm to 6pm.

• Turn down the thermostat on the water heater and wrap your older
model with a water heater blanket.

• Switch to Green Power.

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 Take Action - In the Kitchen

• Support your local farmer. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in
your community. To find a farmer's market in your area, visit Local Harvest -
www.localharvest.org/

• Mind the tap. Conserve water in the kitchen and around the house and garden.

• Buy fresh foods instead of frozen. Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to
produce and deliver.

• Avoid heavily packaged products and cut down on your garbage. Give back
that extra napkin or sugar packet. Carry the gallon of milk by the handle instead
of using a bag.

• Buy organic foods. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much
higher levels than soils from conventional farms.

• BYOB, Bring Your Own Bag, when you visit the grocery store.

• Clean your refrigerator's coils and give it some breath

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 Take Action – On the Road

• Cut back on driving by walking, biking or taking public transportation.

• Start a carpool with your coworkers, classmates or friends.

• Keep your car tuned up and your tires properly inflated. Giving your engine a
tune-up can improve gas mileage by more than 4%. Replacing a clogged air
filter can boost efficiency by 10%. And keeping your tires properly inflated can
improve gas mileage by more than 3%.

• When purchasing a car, choose a fuel efficient vehicle.

• Fly less and purchase "Carbon Offsets" to balance out your travel.

• Travel Green. When going on vacation or on a business trip, take your "green
principles" with you.

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 What’s the Size of Your Personal Footprint?

Earth Day Network Footprint Calculator www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html

• How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle?

• Find out your Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you
can do to tread more lightly on the earth.

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 Consider a Career in Chemistry

• In simplest terms, chemistry is the science of matter. Anything that can be touched,
tasted, smelled, seen or felt is made of chemicals.

• Chemists are the people who transform the everyday materials around us into
amazing things. Some chemists work on cures for cancer while others monitor the
ozone protecting us from the sun. Still others discover new materials to make our homes
warmer in the winter, or new textiles to be used in the latest fashions. The knowledge
gained through the study of chemistry opens many career pathways.”

• To learn more about careers in chemistry, see American Chemical Society > Careers >
What Chemists Do > Profiles of Chemists at Work at www.acs.org

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 References
Gallery of Greenhouse Gases – Global Warming Art
www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Gallery_of_Greenhouse_Gas_Molecules

Global Warming - Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/globalwarming/ad14/action.aspx

International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC)

www.igac.noaa.gov/

Koshland Science Museum – Global Warming Facts & Our Future

www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/index.jsp

World of Molecules
www.worldofmolecules.com/

US Department of Energy
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_energy.html

Carbon Foot Print

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/minimisecfp.html

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Additional Educational Material

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 Learn More About Molecules -
Greenhouse Gases

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• Methane (CH4)

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (example:

Trichlorofluoromethane)

• Ozone (O3)

• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

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 Learn More About Molecules –
Natural Gas

Natural gas, which is about 80% Methane, with varying proportions of Ethane,
Propane, and Butane, and is used as a fuel. For more information, please see:

References for Learn More About Molecules pages:

• Gallery of Greenhouse Gases – Global Warming Art
www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Gallery_of_Greenhouse_Gas_Molecules
• World of Molecules www.worldofmolecules.com/

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