Teach High School Teach High School Science with Science with

Environmental Impact Environmental Impact StudiesStudies

Allan FluhartyAllan FluhartyProsser Career Academy, CPSProsser Career Academy, CPS

2005 RET Fellow 2005 RET Fellow Faculty Advisor: Dr. Thomas TheisFaculty Advisor: Dr. Thomas Theis

Institute for Environmental Science and PolicyInstitute for Environmental Science and Policy

•The countries with the top 20% of income account for 86% of total private consumption

•The poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%. http://www.globalissues.org/

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The “Michael Moore” Slide

© Anne Ward Penguin

Children as ConsumersChildren as ConsumersKid’s markets are enormous and there Kid’s markets are enormous and there are many products and foods geared are many products and foods geared towards children. towards children.

Parents have a hard time raising children Parents have a hard time raising children to be responsible citizens when kids are to be responsible citizens when kids are being increasingly influenced by being increasingly influenced by commercialism. commercialism.

ILS for ScienceILS for Science STATE GOAL 11: Understand…scientific inquiry and STATE GOAL 11: Understand…scientific inquiry and

technological design…investigate questions, conduct technological design…investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems experiments and solve problems

STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts contemporary contexts

13.B.5c—design and conduct an environmental impact study13.B.5c—design and conduct an environmental impact study 13.B.5d—analyze findings and justify recommendations to analyze 13.B.5d—analyze findings and justify recommendations to analyze

the costs, benefits and effects of scientific and technological policies the costs, benefits and effects of scientific and technological policies at the local, state, national and global levels.at the local, state, national and global levels.

13.B.4d—analyze local examples of resource use, technology use or 13.B.4d—analyze local examples of resource use, technology use or conservation programs; document findings; and make conservation programs; document findings; and make recommendations for improvements .recommendations for improvements .

Life Cycle AssessmentLife Cycle Assessment

Systematic tool for evaluating the environmental Systematic tool for evaluating the environmental performance of productsperformance of products

Complex, data intense and considerable uncertaintyComplex, data intense and considerable uncertainty

3 basic concepts:3 basic concepts: Look at the cradle-to-grave life cycleLook at the cradle-to-grave life cycle Considers all impacts (air, water, solid, etc)Considers all impacts (air, water, solid, etc) Every product has an “environmental footprint”Every product has an “environmental footprint”

Analysis can be difficult and contentious but the Analysis can be difficult and contentious but the information derived from LCA can be used for making information derived from LCA can be used for making fact-based and educated decisions to improve designsfact-based and educated decisions to improve designs

Single Stage Flow DiagramSingle Stage Flow DiagramSingle Stage Flow DiagramSingle Stage Flow Diagram

Single Stage or Unit Operation

Energy

Waste

Primary Product

Product Material Inputs (including reuse & recycle from another stage)

Reuse/ Recycle

Reuse/ Recycle

Useful Co-productFugitive & Untreated Waste

Process Materials, Reagents, Solvents & Catalysts (including reuse & recycle from another stage)

Georgia Institute of Technology

Systems Realization Laboratory

Example: Coffee Machine Life-Cycle InventoryExample: Coffee Machine Life-Cycle InventoryExample: Coffee Machine Life-Cycle InventoryExample: Coffee Machine Life-Cycle Inventory

assembly

poly- aluminium

extrusion

+ transport

disposal inmunicipalwaste

electricity

disposal of

in org. waste

use

paper

duction filter pro-

sheet steel

stampingforming

glas

forming

filters + coffee

coffee

roasting

packaging

water

injectionmoulding

bean styrene

7.3 kg 1 kg 0.1 kg 0.3 kg 0.4 kg

375 kWh

White boxes are not included in assessment/inventory

Georgia Institute of Technology

Systems Realization Laboratory

Plastic versus Paper Bag Plastic versus Paper Bag ClassificationClassification

Plastic versus Paper Bag Plastic versus Paper Bag ClassificationClassification

The paper bag causes more winter smog and acidification, but The paper bag causes more winter smog and acidification, but scores better on the other environmental effects. scores better on the other environmental effects.

The classification does not reveal which is the better bag. The classification does not reveal which is the better bag. What is missing is the mutual weighting of the effects.What is missing is the mutual weighting of the effects.

Classification / Characterisation

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

greenhouseeffect

ozone layerdepletionacidification

eutrophicationheavy metals carcinogens winter smog

summer smog

pesticides

Paper bag

LDPE bag

Georgia Institute of Technology

Systems Realization Laboratory

by John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durningby John C. Ryan and Alan Thein DurningNorthwest Environment Watch (copyright 1997)Northwest Environment Watch (copyright 1997) Follows a day in the life of a fictional, typical Follows a day in the life of a fictional, typical North American middle-class resident, tracing North American middle-class resident, tracing the layers of distribution, commerce, and the layers of distribution, commerce, and production involved in everyday consumer production involved in everyday consumer goods.goods. Students will find that what happens around the Students will find that what happens around the world to support a day in the life of an average world to support a day in the life of an average American consumer is not only dramatic, but American consumer is not only dramatic, but disturbing. disturbing.

Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday ThingsStuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things

Module Learning ObjectivesModule Learning Objectives Promote an understanding of the cradle-to-grave Promote an understanding of the cradle-to-grave

environmental impact of products and processes environmental impact of products and processes

Key concepts:Key concepts:

• by-productsby-products

• chains of productionchains of production

• consumer societiesconsumer societies

• consumerismconsumerism

• ecological footprintecological footprint

• product footprintproduct footprint

• post-consumption wastepost-consumption waste

• sustainable consumptionsustainable consumption

• throughputthroughput

Inquiry-based Active LearningInquiry-based Active Learning assess prior knowledge as starting point for learningassess prior knowledge as starting point for learning emphasize key concepts rather than general informationemphasize key concepts rather than general information allow for reflection, discussion, and questioning of allow for reflection, discussion, and questioning of

conceptsconcepts encourage application of learning in new ways and encourage application of learning in new ways and

contextscontexts draws on primary data and real world examplesdraws on primary data and real world examples allow for group work when possibleallow for group work when possible integrate assessment throughout learning processintegrate assessment throughout learning process

CurriculumCurriculumCurriculum consists of 35 to 39 50-minute Curriculum consists of 35 to 39 50-minute

lessons divided into 4 moduleslessons divided into 4 modules

Module AModule A: Introduces students to key concepts by looking at the : Introduces students to key concepts by looking at the stories of the secret lives of things…environmental, social, stories of the secret lives of things…environmental, social, economic, technological, historical, and cultural issues economic, technological, historical, and cultural issues

Module BModule B: Focuses on students’ own consumption patterns to give : Focuses on students’ own consumption patterns to give them a framework within which to understand their relationship to them a framework within which to understand their relationship to stuff. stuff.

Module CModule C: Takes at a broader look at the school’s and the local : Takes at a broader look at the school’s and the local community’s consumption patterns and environmental impact. community’s consumption patterns and environmental impact.

Module DModule D: Puts American consumption patterns in historical and : Puts American consumption patterns in historical and cultural context. Opens students to the relativity of consumption cultural context. Opens students to the relativity of consumption patterns and to the possibility of changing these patterns.patterns and to the possibility of changing these patterns.

AssessmentAssessment

Many opportunities for assessment including Many opportunities for assessment including reports, bulletin boards, worksheets, and reports, bulletin boards, worksheets, and presentationspresentations

Students will be evaluated for understanding of Students will be evaluated for understanding of key concepts, reflection, and creativitykey concepts, reflection, and creativity

There are often no “right answers” … the goal is There are often no “right answers” … the goal is to get students to think “scientifically” about to get students to think “scientifically” about issuesissues

The Secret Life of a Potato

½ ft2 soil in Idaho and 7 gal of water from Snake River

Fertilizers/Pesticides… account for 38% of farmer's expenses

Dug-up & transported to the processing plant where 10 oz potatoes

make 5 oz fries

Frozen using HFC (replaced CFC)… takes 10x more energy to make frozen food than

fresh food

Pulp Mill Bleached & dyed paper

carton

Arkansas Pine TreesMideast Oil NW Hydro-

electricity

Waste CO2 process water, chlorine, waste wood, garbage etc…

Excess N2 enters Columbia River Basin