Carbon Dioxide Reduction Science Fair Project Checklist

Ruaridh MacDonald and Shawn Geisler March 2007

Note: Where we were able to measure the amount of carbon dioxide saved, there is a number/meausurement in the data box. N/A means not applicable to our families. AD means already doing it. IP means that we influenced our parents to consider a change.

1) Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.

2) Inflate Your Tires

Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year. You could reduce GHGs by at least one eighth of a tonne each year and save at least $50 in fuel costs. Always check tires when they are cold and remember to check for foreign objects or cuts, cracks or other signs of wear, and rotate your tires regularly for optimum performance

3) Change Your Air Filter

Check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.

4) Fill the Dishwasher

Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

5) Use Recycled Paper

Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

6) Adjust Your Thermostat

Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

7) Check Your Water heater

Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120F. (49C) Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.

8) Change the AC Filter

Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

9) Take Shorter Showers

Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year. Take a quick shower instead of a bath. A five-minute

shower, for instance, uses up to 50% less hot water than a bath.

10) Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.

11) Buy Products Locally

Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store. Our average meal travels about 2500 kilometers to our plates. A 40-tonne transport truck releases about 5 tonnes of greenhouse gases for one typical shipment of food., about equal to the GHGs an average Canadian produces annually.

12) Dont Idle the Car

Idling for 10 minutes a day can produce about a quarter tonne of CO2 emissions each year and cost you about $70 in wasted fuel. If you stop for more than 10 seconds,

except in traffic, turn off your engine and save.

13) Buy Minimally Packaged Goods

Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.

14) Buy a Hybrid Car

The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a Hybrid.

15) Buy a Fuel Efficient Car

Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.

16) Carpool When You Can

Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

17) Drive at the posted speed limit

With most vehicles, increasing your cruising speed from 100 kilometres per hour to120 kilometres per hour will increase fuel consumption by about 20%. Speeding also reduces the life of your tires. On the highway, use cruise control to maintain a steady speed and reduce fuel consumption.

18) Reduce Garbage

Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

19) Plant a Tree Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. 20) Insulate Your Water Heater
Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

21) Replace Old Appliances

Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

22) Weatherize Your Home

Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $274 per year.

23) Use a Push Mower

Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide and x $ per year.

24) Unplug Un-Used Electronics

Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

25) Put on a Sweater

Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.

26) Insulate Your Home

Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year.

27) Air Dry Your Clothes

Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year.

28) Switch to a Tankless Water Heater

Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $390 per year.

29) Switch to Double Pane Windows

Double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy.

Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $436 per year.

30) Buy Organic Food

The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce.

31) Bring Cloth Bags to the Market

Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

32) Install a ceiling fan

Change the direction the fan to push warm air down in the winter.

33) Capture rainwater

for your garden. The water you use for your lawn doesnt have to come from a tap. A cistern or a rain barrel will capture and store rainwater.

34) Driving less

is the first step toward slowing climate change, improving air quality and saving money. Every litre of gasoline produces 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide.

35) Use a block heater on a timer

when the temperature drops below 0C (32F). A block heater warms the oil and engine coolant, making it easier to start your vehicle and improving winter fuel economy by as much as 10%. Set your block heater on a timer to switch on two hours before you plan to drive.

36) Give up your second vehicle

Reduce GHGs and save thousands of dollars on operating costs and depreciation, particularly if it is an older vehicle. A typical late-model vehicle driven 20,000 kilometres a year produces: Sport utility vehicle 6 tonnes of CO2, Mid-sized sedan 4 tonnes of CO2, Hybrid vehicle 2 tonnes of CO2 (gasoline-electric)

37) Use ethanol-blended gasoline

If all gasoline in Canada were blended with ethanol, we could reduce our GHGs by 5 million tonnes per year.

38) Keepyour furnace well maintained

and change or clean furnace filters every couple of months. Dirty air filters block airflow and can damage the heat exchanger.

39) Shut off the pilot light

of your natural gas fireplace or wall heater during summer months. If you dont know how to relight the pilot, ask your heating contractor to show you during your next servicing.

40) Rinse in cold water and wash in warm

Clothes rinsed in cold water come out as clean as those rinsed in warm water. Washing in warm rather than hot water uses 50% less energy, and your clothes will come out just as well rinsed and, depending on the fabric, less wrinkled.

41) Avoid over-drying clothes

Clothes should dry in 40 to 60 minutes. Better yet, hang clothes outdoors to dry when the weather permits. If you are buying a new dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor. It will turn off automatically when clothes are dry.

42) Unplug that second refrigerator or freezer

Unless you really need these appliances, dont waste energy or money needlessly. This tip is particularly important if they are older, less-efficient models.

43) Select the dishwashers no-heat or air-drying cycle

Turn off the electric element that heats the interior of the unit and causes the water to evaporate. It is easy to do and will save on your hydro bill. Scrape off your dishes instead of rinsing them and run the dishwasher only when it is full.

44) Increase the efficiency of your refrigerator and freezer

Keep them away from heat sources (direct sunlight, furnace vents and radiators) and appliances (oven, stove and dishwasher) that can make them work harder to stay cool. At the same time, check the temperature settings. Keep your refrigerator temperature between 1.7C (35F) and 3.3C (38F) and the freezer compartment at 18C (0F) for maximum efficiency and safety.

45) Pay attention to goods and packaging

Evaluate your purchases and consider how they contribute to your household waste. Buy more durable goods and re-usable products. And ask for products with less packaging.

46) Install outdoor automatic timers

You wont have to remember to turn your outdoor lights on in the evening and off during the day. Installing a timer can cut your outdoor lighting energy use by up to half. Or use motion detectors, which switch on automatically when people move close to them and switch off after a few minutes.

47) Ensure your computer system is set up to use its energy-saver option
Machines are often shipped with his feature disabled. If you buy an ENERGY STAR-qualified computer, the power-saving feature is automatically set.

48) Use as little paper as possible

Printing, photocopying and faxing use energy. Use e-mail more often it is quicker, less expensive and healthier for the environment. Also use recycled paper whenever possible.

49) Use a monitor that is the right size for your needs
Generally, the larger the monitor, the more energy it consumes, with the exception of an LCD monitor.

50) Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers

on your lawn and garden. Chemical fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide, a GHG. Try using organic products they are better for our environment and healthier for your lawn and your family.