Lab: Greenhouse Gas Inventory exercise

Neil Leary, Dickinson College.
Author Profile
Initial Publication Date: April 29, 2016

Summary

2 hours.


In this lab,
students 
use 
and
 become 
familiar
 with 
the 
college's
 greenhouse 
gas 
inventory and 
the Clean Air-Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator (more info) , an 
excel based 
package 
that 
Dickinson 
and 
many 
other
 schools 
use 
to
 calculate 
their 
greenhouse
 gas
 emissions.

Addtional course materials are provided. See below.

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Learning Goals

Learning goals are for students to be able to:

  1. Assess and explain connections between campus operations, climate change and sustainability;
  2. Critically analyze climate action plans of colleges and other institutions;
  3. Evaluate options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing sustainability goals using environmental, financial and other criteria;
  4. Work effectively as a member of a team to develop recommendations for climate change action and sustainability that are supported by credible evidence, good analysis, and well reasoned arguments; and
  5. Communicate recommendations effectively to community members and decision makers.

Description and Teaching Materials

Teaching Notes and Tips

Prior to the lab, you will want to become familiar with the Clean Air - Cool Planet (CA-CP) Calculator (more info) and your school's greenhouse gas inventory.

Additonal course materials related to this lab exercise include a course syllabusand selected assignments.

The assignments include:

(1) GHG inventory lab,

(2) analysis of campus climate action plans,

(3) financial analysis lab for GHG mitigation projects, and

(4) a community-based research project on reducing campus GHG emissions.

Materials needed for this lab:

  • The Clean Air – Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator with your school's greenhouse gas
  • inventory data entered.
  • The Clean Air – Cool Planet Calculator User's Guide.
  • Access to computers; two to three students per computer.
  • Access to the Internet.

BEFORE CLASS:

  • Download Dickinson's Clean Air - Cool Planet (CA-CP) Calculator (more info) from Moodle. Copy it on a USB thumb drive and bring to class.
  • Read the CA‐CP Calculator User's Guide, pp. 1‐18 and pp. 30‐37 (as well as other readings as noted on the syllabus).
  • Open the Dickinson CA‐CP Calculator (it's an excel spreadsheet). If asked, allow or enable 'macros'.
  • Click the tab on bottom labeled 'Introduction' and read the introduction.
  • Click the 'Spreadsheet Map' tab and use the map to become familiar with the structure of the CA‐CP Calculator.

AT START OF CLASS:

  • Start a computer and copy Dickinson's CA‐CP Calculator onto the desktop.
  • Launch the CA‐CP Calculator.
  • You can work in groups of 2 or 3