MARIA


 * PART A:**


 * Project Proposal:** I would like to create my own accurate ecological footprint calculator (using research) and then complete a thorough analysis of how Cottonwood Classical's families’ carbon footprints compare to the national and world averages, identify the areas in which this community exceeds world averages, and suggest improvements for said areas.


 * Time Required:** Approximately 8 months to one year


 * Materials Required:**
 * Computer
 * Internet
 * A survey-creating tool (surveymonkey.com)
 * Excel Spreadsheet

An abundance of websites, including:
 * Literature Review:**
 * [] (from US Dept. of Energy, for finding cars’ fuel economies)
 * [|www.energystar.gov]
 * [] (air flight)
 * []
 * [] and http://www.foodcarbon.co.uk/
 * (That’s just a very basic starting point)


 * PART B:**

Step 1: Research Ecological Footprint factors including:
 * Planning (Pl):**
 * Home: appliances/heating/etc.
 * Types of appliances (Old vs. new appliances vs. Energy Star appliances)
 * Heating/cooling methods and average temperature of house in winter/summer and size of house
 * Insulation checks?
 * Light bulbs
 * Number of people living in house
 * Travel
 * Car: make and model, gas mileage, miles driven per week, regularity of changing air filters and checking tire pressure, carpooling
 * Air flight: Number of flights and distances of each flight
 * Train travel: Long distance and miles traveled, or Rail Runner and miles traveled
 * Motorcycle: make and model, gas mileage, miles driven per week, regularity of changing air filters and checking tire pressure
 * Public transportation-bus: miles traveled, bus’s power
 * Riding a bicycle: miles traveled
 * Recycling and composting
 * Recycling—Trash vs. recycling amounts of: 1 and 2 plastics, paper, metal cans, clear glass, colored glass, cardboard, other plastics, old appliances, old furniture, old electronics, etc.
 * Composting—what is composted, how often
 * Diet
 * Meat and dairy consumption: Times per week a person eats beef, pork, veal, lamb, turkey, chicken, milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, eggs, sour cream, etc.
 * Dining out: Times eaten out per week, had pizza delivered, went to a fast food restaurant
 * Packaging: food bought in bulk, frozen, canned, comes in one-use easy meal packaging, etc

Step 2: Research global usages:
 * Find world ecological footprints and how it is broken down (how much carbon comes from transportation, diet, etc.)
 * Find some countries’ ecological footprints and thus average footprint per person

Step 3: Find school families’ carbon footprints and see how they compare (do a thorough analysis)
 * Survey parents about their ecological footprint in an email-sent survey that allows them to fill out their information as accurately as possible
 * Survey will include questions like: What is your car’s gas mileage, and how many miles do you drive it per week? How many hours have you spent flying on an airplane in the last year? How many times per week do you eat meat? (One question for each bullet)
 * Calculate each family’s ecological footprint
 * Find an average for families’ footprints
 * Compare the average footprint to average footprint of people in our country, footprints of people in other countries, and world average
 * Find trends in families’ data and compare it to research found in step 2 (first bullet)
 * If school average is over world limit, identify largest problem areas and state ways that these problems could be rectified


 * Data Collection and Processing (DCP):**
 * Discussion, Evaluation, and Conclusion (DEC):**
 * Personal Skills (PS)**