To help individuals see how much “a ton” of carbon really is. Providing visuals and giving statistics of various average citizens’ carbon emissions.

This is a powerpoint that is to be combined with a 33ft. wide weather balloon (potentially stored in the Student Activities cubicle for “Students for Sustainable Urban Design”). To have a real life example of the powerpoint’s slides. Marking off with blue tape inside a room could also work, but less effective.
As can be seen in the slides, a physical model of the campus is also to be produced, with a scaled-version of the 33ft wide balloon. Beads were used in the original, and it would be recommended to string together the colors to allow easy separating, allowing participants to physically hold the different amounts.

An expansion for the model would be to section off proportionate numbers of beads to represent different “green” projects, such as solar panels or insulation for buildings. To show how much past or potential future projects could save.

A secondary expansion for kids (or adults), is bringing a set of objects that weigh or have a physical diameter proportionate to the carbon emitted from different daily activities. Such as “Running the bulb for 10 hours produces about 2.1 pounds of carbon dioxide” (Chegg.com) and bringing a 2.1 pound weight, and lightbulb. This further adds to the visualization and tactile memory of carbon production.
A game could be made of this, where students make hypothetical everyday choices, and throw proportionally carbon-weights into their “carbon contribution basket”. To further show how many individuals can greatly contribute, have them stand in a circle facing outwards towards their personal baskets, so they only focus on theirs. Then at the end have everyone pile theirs together to see how much everyone made together.

Also linking carbon calculators, or “http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/” (a very visual graphic walkthrough, good for youth).

Supplementary Website: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/

Academic Quarters: 2016 Spring
Sustainability Fields: Building/Infrastructure, Community, Waste and Material Management, Other
Associated Program/Group: ILC: A Study in Urban Planning at TESC Campus
Student’s Names: Michael Joseph
Associated Faculty/Staff: E.J. Zita
Contact E-mail: josmic25@evergreen.edu
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