Comparing Carbon Calculators

M. McCaffrey, CIRES at the University of Colorado at Boulder

This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection (view details)

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Initial Publication Date: June 24, 2011 | Reviewed: October 19, 2012 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

Carbon calculators, no matter how well intended as tools to help measure energy footprints, tend to be black boxes and can produce wildly different results, depending on the calculations used to weigh various energy factors. By comparing different calculators, learners can analyze which ones are the most accurate and relevant, and which are the most transparent.

Atmospheric gases, Greenhouse gas emissions, Mitigation of climate ...(more) | College Introductory | Public Policy and STEM

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Topics

Atmospheric gases, Greenhouse gas emissions, Mitigation of climate change, Efficiency and Energy Conservation, Biogeochemical cycling, Environmental Decision-Making

Grade Level

College Introductory

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Public Policy and STEM: STEM disciplines can strengthen data-based decision making in the public sphere.

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Learning Goals

Comparing, contrasting and synthesizing the results of different calculators promotes high order thinking skills.

Context for Use

Rather than have students do traditional carbon calculator exercises, this activity invites learners to examine different calculators, compare and contrast them, and gain insight into how different factors are weighed and calculated.

Description and Teaching Materials

This website has a listing of ~80 different calculators: www.squidoo.com/carboncalcs (no longer available).

Teaching Notes and Tips

This activity can be done as extra credit or part of a group project. It will require identifying a variety of carbon or ecological footprint calculators, developing a set of input data that is used consistently with the different calculators, and then analyzing and presenting the results.
Comparing Calculators: Teaching Notes (Acrobat (PDF) 67kB Jun24 11)

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Assessment

Did the learners complete the task of comparing and contrasting calculators, and if so, what were their results?

References and Resources

J. Paul Padgett, Anne C. Steinemann, James H. Clarke, Michael P. Vandenbergh (2008). A comparison of carbon calculators, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 28, 106–115

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