Page 536 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

4. Think about the many ways in which your campus might 6. THINK IT THROUGH You have just been elected gover-
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Come up with three nor of a medium-sized U.S. state. Polls show that the
concrete proposals for ways to reduce emissions on your public wants you to take bold action to reduce green-
campus that you feel would be effective and feasible. house gas emissions. However, polls also show that the
How would you present these proposals to your campus public does not want prices of gasoline or electricity to
administration to get its support? rise. Carbon-emitting industries in your state are wary
5. THINK IT THROUGH You have been appointed as the of emissions reductions being required of them but are
United States representative to an international confer- willing to explore ideas with you. Your state legislature
ence to negotiate terms of the emissions reduction treaty will support you in your efforts as long as you remain
to replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2020. The U.S. govern- popular with voters. The state to your west has just
ment has instructed you to take a leading role in design- passed ambitious legislation mandating steep green-
ing the new treaty and to engage constructively with other house gas emissions reductions. The state to your east
nations’ representatives while protecting your nation’s has just joined a new regional emissions trading con-
economic and political interests. What type of agreement sortium. What actions will you take in your first year as
will you try to shape? Describe at least three components governor?
that you would propose or agree to, and at least one that
you would oppose.

Calculating Ecological Footprints

Global climate change is something to which we all contrib- Several online calculators enable you to calculate your own
ute, because fossil fuel combustion plays such a large role in personal carbon footprint, the amount of carbon emissions
supporting the lifestyles we lead. Conversely, as individuals, for which you are responsible. Go to http://www.nature.org/
each one of us can help to mitigate climate change through greenliving/carboncalculator/, take the quiz, and enter the rel-
personal decisions and actions in how we live our lives. evant data in the table.

Carbon footprint 2. As you took the quiz and noted the impacts of various
(tons per person per year) choices and activities, which one surprised you the most?
World average 3. Think of three changes you could make in your lifestyle
U.S. average that would lower your carbon footprint. Now take the
footprint quiz again, incorporating these three changes.
Your footprint Enter your resulting footprint in the table. By how much
Your footprint with three did you reduce your yearly emissions?
changes (see Question 3) 4. What do you think would be an admirable yet realistic
goal for you to set as a target value for your own foot-
1. How does your personal carbon footprint compare to that print? Would you choose to purchase carbon offsets to
of the average U.S. resident? How does it compare to that help reduce your impact? Why or why not?
of the average person in the world? Why do you think
your footprint differs from these in the ways it does?

STUDENTS INSTRUCTORS CHAPTER 18 • Glob al Cli M aT e Chan G e
Go to MasteringEnvironmentalScience for assignments, the Go to MasteringEnvironmentalScience for automatically
etext, and the Study Area with practice tests, videos, current graded activities, current events, videos, and reading questions
events, and activities. that you can assign to your students, plus Instructor Resources.

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