Eco-Quiz

Developed for Skidmore College Students by Karin B. Kirk and John J. Thomas

This quiz is used as a warm-up exercise for the Lifestyle Project. The idea is to measure student behaviors and also their knowledge of some basic facts about resource use. The quiz can be easily modified for your campus. Here is a downloadable version of this quiz (Microsoft Word 39kB Nov2 07).

Here is a similar version of this quiz (Microsoft Word 33kB Nov7 07) along with a scoring worksheet (Microsoft Word 74kB Nov7 07), used at Malaspina University-College in British Columbia.

And yet another version of the quiz (Microsoft Word 71kB Dec14 07), adapted for use at the University of North Dakota. This version has additional questions about local environmental topics.

The point values for each question are in parentheses after the answer. The downloadable version (Microsoft Word 39kB Nov2 07) has the questions without the point values, for use as a student handout.

Energy Use

____ 1. Do you have a car?

Yes (5)
No (0)

____ 2. On an average, how many miles a week do you drive?

0-25 (0)
25 - 50 (2)
50 - 100 (4)
Over 100 (6)

____ 3. What is the gas mileage of your car?

Don't know (5)
Less than 10 (8)
10-17 (6)
18-25 (4)
26-32 (2)
Greater than 32 (0)

____ 4. Do you ever car pool?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 5. Do you ever take the bus?

Yes (0)
No (5)
Don't like talking to the bus driver (10)
Afraid I might see someone I know (15)

____ 6. How many hours a day is your computer on?

Zero (don't have one) (0)
1-4 (1)
5-9 (2)
10-14 (3)
15-24 (4)

____ 7. How many hours a day is your TV on?

Zero (don't have one) (0)
1-4 (1)
5-9 (2)
10-14 (3)
15-34 (4)

____ 8. How many hours a day is your stereo on.

Zero (don't have one) (0)
1-4 (1)
5-9 (2)
10-14 (3)
15-24 (4)

____ 9a. Do you turn your lights off when you leave the room?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 9b. When you leave the shower/bathroom?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 10. How many loads of laundry do you do each week?

0-1 (0)
2 (2)
3 (4)
4 or more (6)

____ 11. Which cycle uses the least amount of energy?

Permanent press (2)
Delicates (4)
Bright colors (0)
Whites and colors (6)

____ 12. Which uses more energy, a five minute shower or 12 hours of computer use?

Shower (0)
Computer (5)

____ 13. What source(s) of energy does Skidmore College use for heating?

Hydroelectric (5)
Biomass (5)
Nuclear (5)
Steam (5)
Coal (5)
Natural gas (0)
Fuel Oil (5)
Solar (5)
Wind (5)
Geothermal (5)

Garbage

____ 14. Do you recycle?

Always, even if it's out of my way (0)
Usually, if it's convenient (2)
Not usually (4)
Never (10)

____ 15a. Is a yogurt cup labeled #2 recyclable at Skidmore?

Yes (5)
No (0)

_____15b. In Saratoga County?

Yes (5)
No (0)

____ 16a. Is a green glass bottle recyclable at Skidmore?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 16b. In Saratoga County?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 17a. Are pizza boxes recyclable at Skidmore?

Yes (5)
No (5)
Only if clean (0)

_____ 17b. In Saratoga County?

Yes (5)
No (5)
Only if clean (0)

____ 18a. How about batteries? At Skidmore?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 18b. In Saratoga County?

Yes (0)
No (5)

____ 19. How much trash do you create in one week?

Less than one garbage can (0)
One or two cans full (2)
More than two cans (4)

Water Use

____ 20. Do you leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your face?

Yes (5)
No (0)

____ 21. How long are your daily showers?
(If you take two showers per day, add the times. If you shower every other day, divide the number in half.)

5 minutes or less (0)
5-10 minutes (5)
10-15 minutes (10)
More than 15 minutes (15)

____ 22. Do you know where your drinking water comes from?

The faucet (5)
Hudson River (5)
Sacandaga Reservoir (5)
Loughberry Lake (0)
Saratoga Lake (5)
Geyser Crest well field (5)
Bog Meadow Brook (5)
Pacific Ocean (5)
Owens Valley (5)

____ 23. How much water does it take to make one pound of beef?

100 gallons (5)
500 gallons (5)
1000 gallons (5)
More than 1000 gallons (0)

____ 24. What is the biggest use of water at Skidmore?

Drinking (2)
Faucets (2)
Laundry (2)
Toilets (0)
Showers (0)
Cooking (2)
Swimming (2)

____ 25. What is the biggest use of water in the US?

Drinking (5)
Faucets (5)
Laundry (5)
Toilets (5)
Showers (5)
Cooking (5)
Swimming (5)
Manufacturing (0)
Farming (0)
Car washing (5)
Lawns and golf courses (5)
Food (5)

____ 26. Are you:

Vegan (0)
Vegetarian (2)
Don't eat meat often (4)
Gotta have meat! (6)

____ 27. When you need a cup of coffee, do you

Use your reusable mug (0)
Use a Styrofoam or paper cup (5)
Skip it altogether (0)

Miscellaneous

____ 28. Circle the activities you do during a typical weekend.

Homework/library (0)
Drive to Boston or other city (10)
Go to the mall (5)
Go camping/skiing/mt. biking (5)
Go for a hike in North Woods (0)

____ 29. Can you compost on campus?

Yes (0)
No (5)
What's compost? (10)

Eco-Score

0 - 75: "Tree Hugger!"
76 - 125: take some Environmental Science courses
126 - 200: typical American