Eco Footprint Essay Research Paper

Eco Footprint Essay Research Paper

Order ID	53563633773
Type	Essay
Writer Level	Masters
Style	APA
Sources/References	4
Perfect Number of Pages to Order	5-10 Pages

Description/Paper Instructions

Eco Footprint Essay Research Paper

Eco, FootPrint, Essay,

 

Introduction and Purpose

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States has the second highest energy consumption of any country in the world, the first highest being China. Though U.S. energy use has decreased in recent years, our overall energy consumption (including water, fuel, and electricity) impacts both U.S. residents and the world as a whole.

In 2010, the United States alone used more energy than all of Europe combined. This is striking considering that, at approximately 309 million, the U.S. population was less than half the size of Europe, which had a population of approximately 711 million in 2010. For more information on world energy consumption, see: http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=44&pid=44&aid=2)

The goal of this assignment is to increase your awareness of your use of resources (water, electricity, petroleum products, etc.). You can use this assignment to connect your own use of resources and energy to larger questions about regional energy needs, environmental pollution, geo-political issues, and even climate change.

Decisions we make (about whether to drive, how warm to keep our rooms, how long to shower, for example) have consequences, costs that our society and the planet overall, has to bear. The assignment asks you to analyze your own use of energy by taking an online quiz and keeping track of and estimating your use of water resources over three days .

Part 1A: Measuring your Ecological Footprint

The first step for 1A is to get a general sense of your “Ecological Footprint.” In order to do this, go to the following site to calculate your footprint using an online tool: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/

See my video on how to do this HERE

Once you reach this site, click on your location (USA). As you take this quiz please use ONLY the detailed answers at the bottom of the screen “ADD DETAILS TO IMPROVE ACCURACY (so not the general/generic ones)

If you are living in a PSU dorm please choose the home of a parent or relative. (Many of our dorms have been updated to be eco-friendly) You can call your parents or others to answer some questions such as monthly electricity or gas bills or simply click “I don’t know.”

Also You will likely need to take the quiz more than once since it may require that you gather some information that you may not have immediately on hand. Take notes as you go, keeping track of some of your key answers and noting anything you find interesting. Though this online tool will not provide a precise measurement of how many resources you consume, it will give you a general sense of how much and what you use in your everyday life.

The second step of Part 1A requires you to keep track of your water over the course of three days. Use the attached audit forms to keep track of your usage. Ideally, these three days should represent your common, everyday usage of these resources. Therefore, you should pick two weekdays and a weekend day.

Fill out these audit forms electronically and save them on your google drive. Then, calculate your average monthly use by multiplying that number by 10. You can also note anything out of the ordinary for those days in terms of usage.

The final step of Part 1A requires that you make visual graphs to represent what you learned and how you might be able to change your resource use. Make 2 graphs that summarize your monthly water use. Use two different types of graphs (you might, for example, choose a bar chart and a pie chart). Clearly label and title each graph and make sure to include the quantity/unit presented (in this case, gallons).

Then, make ONE graph that shows how resources could be saved through use of one approach to conservation (e.g., use of low-flush toilet). This will require that you re-calculate one of the estimated uses, based on a different flow rate, gallon per flush, type of transportation or car, etc. Then create a graph, showing the amount of resources that would be saved through this change. Again, focus on the use of resources in one month.

Part 2 (70%)—Essay and Analysis

Note: Even though Part 2 is worth 70% of your grade for this assignment, you cannot successfully complete this part without having successfully completed Part 1.

• Part 2 of this assignment requires that you write a 750-1000 word essay. The essay should analyze your own energy consumption and choices, as well as the environmental factors that might influence those choices, and consider ways that you individually and we as a society can change our resource usage.

Your essay should be focused and well-organized, with a clear thesis. You should provide clear and specific evidence for your claims, making use of the readings, information from Part 1, as well as other sources (see below). Discuss your findings and graphs and fully integrate them into your essay!

Sources for Part 2 : You should use specific examples from the readings and your audit. This assignment also requires that you use at least two other authoritative sources to supplement the knowledge you’ve gained. These do not need to be academic scholarly sources, but they should be reliable.

For example, you might use information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) given above or other government sites, or you might use information from a reputable non-profit on non-government agency. You might find good sources on water, such as the Portland Water Bureau site http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/55162 or the following post: http://visual.ly/water-we-eat.

As you develop ideas for your essay, you should consider the following questions:

• How resourceful are your own habits, and how/where did you develop those habits?
• What are some of the factors that lead to those habits and how are habits changed?
• How might your home and neighborhood be different than others, and how might those differences influence your resource usage?
• How are neighborhoods here in Portland possibly different from neighborhoods in other places or cities you know?
• How do your own needs (getting to school or work, shopping, laundry) influence your usage, and how might they be different than others. This can apply to habits other than water consumption such as food choices or travel choices.

You should also consider larger questions about our overall consumption in the U.S., taking into consideration why that consumption is relatively large and the impact that it has.

Keep in mind that you will not be able to completely address all of the above questions. Ultimately, these questions should serve as a guide to brainstorm your ideas and help focus your thinking on the topic.

Three-Day Water Audit

Track your use of water over the three days. Again, you should pick days that represent your common usage and that cover two weekdays and one weekend day. I obtained the “gallons per flush” values and flow rates from the PDX Water Bureau (see http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/55162); these are averages of basic fixtures.

You can check the Portland Water Bureau site to more accurate readings for your own utilities. You should adjust these numbers as needed. Keep track of the minutes of washing and number of flushes, etc., calculating the gallons of water you use each day, based on the estimates provided.

 

TOTAL per month: Three day total ______gallons x 10 =

___/20% Development of ideas, including the development of your thesis and claims

• You develop compelling ideas that demonstrate that you have thought about the issue and considered various points of view.
• Your paper is focused includes a clear and compelling thesis which is developed throughout the paper.

___/20% Integration of sources and compelling examples

• The paper uses clear, vivid, and appropriate examples to back up your claims, and demonstrates that you have read closely and critically.
• The paper presents an ability to analyze and synthesize ideas, and to connect the ideas in the sources to your own claims.
• You use sources to support your analysis (instead of allowing the sources to simply speak for themselves).
• You make use of class readings and at least two other sources (see assignment details).
• You use active and appropriate signal phrases/verbs to introduce sources and ideas.

___/15% Overall organization and fluency of observation

• There is a clear logic to the structure of the paper and the flow of ideas.
• The paper uses clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.
• The paper has a strong introduction and conclusion, and an original title that reflects the ideas in your paper.
• Your paragraphs are focused.
• You elaborate on your ideas using specific examples to back up your claims.

15% Writing style and tone, and grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation in observation

• The tone of your observation is consistent and appropriate for audience.
• Your writing is concise (you emphasize “quality” over “quantity”).
• You work to avoid errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, particularly errors that may impede the readers’ ability to understand your ideas.
• Your vocabulary is appropriate and varied.

RUBRIC QUALITY OF RESPONSE NO RESPONSE POOR / UNSATISFACTORY SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT Content (worth a maximum of 50% of the total points) Zero points:  Student failed to submit the final paper. 20 points out of 50:  The essay illustrates poor understanding of the relevant material by failing to address or incorrectly addressing the relevant content; failing to identify or inaccurately explaining/defining key concepts/ideas; ignoring or incorrectly explaining key points/claims and the reasoning behind them; and/or incorrectly or inappropriately using terminology; and elements of the response are lacking. 30 points out of 50:  The essay illustrates a rudimentary understanding of the relevant material by mentioning but not full explaining the relevant content; identifying some of the key concepts/ideas though failing to fully or accurately explain many of them; using terminology, though sometimes inaccurately or inappropriately; and/or incorporating some key claims/points but failing to explain the reasoning behind them or doing so inaccurately.  Elements of the required response may also be lacking. 40 points out of 50:  The essay illustrates solid understanding of the relevant material by correctly addressing most of the relevant content; identifying and explaining most of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology; explaining the reasoning behind most of the key points/claims; and/or where necessary or useful, substantiating some points with accurate examples.  The answer is complete. 50 points:  The essay illustrates exemplary understanding of the relevant material by thoroughly and correctly addressing the relevant content; identifying and explaining all of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology explaining the reasoning behind key points/claims and substantiating, as necessary/useful, points with several accurate and illuminating examples.  No aspects of the required answer are missing. Use of Sources (worth a maximum of 20% of the total points). Zero points:  Student failed to include citations and/or references. Or the student failed to submit a final paper. 5 out 20 points:  Sources are seldom cited to support statements and/or format of citations are not recognizable as APA 6th Edition format. There are major errors in the formation of the references and citations. And/or there is a major reliance on highly questionable. The Student fails to provide an adequate synthesis of research collected for the paper. 10 out 20 points:  References to scholarly sources are occasionally given; many statements seem unsubstantiated.  Frequent errors in APA 6th Edition format, leaving the reader confused about the source of the information. There are significant errors of the formation in the references and citations. And/or there is a significant use of highly questionable sources. 15 out 20 points:  Credible Scholarly sources are used effectively support claims and are, for the most part, clear and fairly represented.  APA 6th Edition is used with only a few minor errors.  There are minor errors in reference and/or citations. And/or there is some use of questionable sources. 20 points:  Credible scholarly sources are used to give compelling evidence to support claims and are clearly and fairly represented.  APA 6th Edition format is used accurately and consistently. The student uses above the maximum required references in the development of the assignment. Grammar (worth maximum of 20% of total points) Zero points:  Student failed to submit the final paper. 5 points out of 20:  The paper does not communicate ideas/points clearly due to inappropriate use of terminology and vague language; thoughts and sentences are disjointed or incomprehensible; organization lacking; and/or numerous grammatical, spelling/punctuation errors  10 points out 20:  The paper is often unclear and difficult to follow due to some inappropriate terminology and/or vague language; ideas may be fragmented, wandering and/or repetitive; poor organization; and/or some grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors 15 points out of 20:  The paper is mostly clear as a result of appropriate use of terminology and minimal vagueness; no tangents and no repetition; fairly good organization; almost perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage. 20 points:  The paper is clear, concise, and a pleasure to read as a result of appropriate and precise use of terminology; total coherence of thoughts and presentation and logical organization; and the essay is error free. Structure of the Paper (worth 10% of total points) Zero points:  Student failed to submit the final paper. 3 points out of 10: Student needs to develop better formatting skills. The paper omits significant structural elements required for and APA 6th edition paper. Formatting of the paper has major flaws. The paper does not conform to APA 6th edition requirements whatsoever. 5 points out of 10: Appearance of final paper demonstrates the student’s limited ability to format the paper. There are significant errors in formatting and/or the total omission of major components of an APA 6th edition paper. They can include the omission of the cover page, abstract, and page numbers. Additionally the page has major formatting issues with spacing or paragraph formation. Font size might not conform to size requirements.  The student also significantly writes too large or too short of and paper 7 points out of 10: Research paper presents an above-average use of formatting skills. The paper has slight errors within the paper. This can include small errors or omissions with the cover page, abstract, page number, and headers. There could be also slight formatting issues with the document spacing or the font Additionally the paper might slightly exceed or undershoot the specific number of required written pages for the assignment. 10 points: Student provides a high-caliber, formatted paper. This includes an APA 6th edition cover page, abstract, page number, headers and is double spaced in 12’ Times Roman Font. Additionally, the paper conforms to the specific number of required written pages and neither goes over or under the specified length of the paper.
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