Purpose: Universities and their actions affect the environment directly and significantly. Therefore, the carbon footprint (CF) needs to be implemented in these institutions for mitigating climate change and its potential risks. Based on this understanding, the university consortium quality and environment (QualEnv) stands out by its main…

Our study explored current environmental sustainability practices of U.S. camps as well as the motivations and barriers influencing integration of sustainable operational approaches. Using a web survey of camp organizations in Spring 2021, we identified participation in sustainable actions across five broad categories: waste management,…

It is now widely understood that societies must rapidly decarbonize to avoid the worst impacts of future climate change. To contribute to this urgent effort, academic libraries should develop an understanding of the carbon footprint resulting from their activities. This article shares the results of an effort at the Penn State University Libraries…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the piloting of an experience-based training module on greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting. The training is designed to promote knowledge and skills of both, students and professionals, in the context of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The paper's purpose is to evaluate the suitability of the chosen…

Most rockets convert the energy stored in their propellant mass into the mechanical energy required to expel it as exhaust. The 'rocket equation', which describes how a rocket's speed changes with mass, is usually derived by assuming that this fuel is expelled at a constant relative velocity. However, this is a poor assumption for cases where the…

This activity is part of a larger set of activities and presentations developed by the Michigan Geographic Alliance to help teachers meet the proposed Social Studies standards in 6th and 7th grade. The Michigan Geographic Alliance website also has explanatory presentations, supplementary maps, and readings. In this 20-40 minute intermediate…

Taiwan is a densely populated industrialized country with high-polluting industries. In particular, petrochemical, steel, thermal power, and electronics plants consume a high level of energy. Furthermore, vehicle exhaust emissions are a major contributor to pollution. Collectively, these problems have resulted in high levels of greenhouse gas…

This 45 minute inquiry lesson can be used for a high school world geography or AP Human Geography course when the class discusses various issues regarding world energy resources. The lesson focuses on two particular issues: fossil fuel dependency and the growing energy demand. Students will examine the geographic distribution of current energy…

A television advertisement and a website present an interesting question: can rail company CSX "really" move a ton of freight 468 miles on a gallon of fuel, or is the claim preposterous? Let us examine the claim, first by understanding what is meant, looking at their data, and then converting units to examine the claim quantitatively.

This article is based on a case study that follows the trajectory of a technological device aimed at environmental education from the engineering laboratory in which it was designed into the contexts in which it is used. "Greendrive" is a driving simulator that accurately reproduces the performance of a vehicle in terms of fuel…

The purposes of this activity are to help middle school students understand the carbon cycle and realize how human activities affect the carbon cycle. This activity consists of two parts. The first part of the activity focuses on the carbon cycle, especially before the Industrial Revolution, while the second part of the activity focuses on how…

Providing sustainable mobility is a major challenge that will require new vehicle and fuel technologies. Alternative and future fuels are the subject of considerable research and public interest. A simple approach is presented that can be used in science education lectures at the high school or undergraduate level to provide students with an…

Topics commonly taught in a general chemistry course can be used to calculate the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by various human activities. Each calculation begins with the balanced chemical equation for the reaction that produces the CO[subscript 2] gas. Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, the ideal gas law, and dimensional…

The standard for measuring fuel efficiency in the U.S. has been miles per gallon (mpg). However, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) switch in rating fuel efficiency from miles per gallon to gallons per hundred miles with the 2013 model-year cars leads to interesting and relevant mathematics with real-world connections. By modeling…

This article describes an electrical technology experiment that shows students how to determine the cost of using an electrical appliance. The experiment also provides good math practice and teaches basic electricity terms and concepts, such as volt, ampere, watt, kilowatt, and kilowatt-hour. This experiment could be expanded to calculate the cost…