How can I prove my household's carbon emission reductions with semi-complex physics?

Question

Hi, I'm an Australian high school physics student currently studying the effects of high energy living upon the environment. As a physics student, I need to prove the steps I've made to reduce my household's carbon footprint with relevant physics equations/support. An example of this would be how reducing a hot water system's overall temperature would result in the saving of energy (q=mcT, reduce T to reduce q). Can anyone provide me with more examples pertaining to reducing household emissions?

Answer 1

Obviously one would be adding an insulating jacket to the hot water heater. Conductive heat loss rate dq/dt = kT, where k is a function of surface area and heat conduction of the container wall, and T is the temperature difference. The insulation reduces k.
Another is converting from coal or oil to natural gas heat if possible. Being mostly methane, natural gas provides 4 hydrogen atoms for each carbon atom, compared to heavier compounds in the same (aliphatic) family which are found in heating oil and whose chemical formula is CnH(2n+2), a H to C ratio that approaches only 2.
Also there's insulating everything (!), sealing house leaks (reducing dq/dt by leak rate * temp. diff. * specific heat of air), reducing shower time, etc., all of which have pretty simple formulas.

Answer 2

Ah particular the denier moist dream - stop investment scientific study, stick our heads up our butts, and need the priority magically is going away. Gotta love deniers who declare there is too lots uncertainty to realize this, yet in addition desire to diminish scientific investment so as that we gained't shrink that uncertainty. Your ideological bias ought to no longer be extra glaring. The 4 international locations declined the 2d around of Kyoto because of the fact they want a clean settlement wherein coming up international locations like China are not exempted, that's relatively mandatory at this factor given how without postpone their emissions are turning out to be. quicker or later we will get a clean worldwide settlement that is composed of coming up international locations, yet regrettably that is giong to be sluggish going because of the fact the financial downturn and denial pass have been powerful in souring human beings from taking extreme action to handle the priority. It purely ability we are lots extra in all probability to be screwed. have fun that in case you easily need to.

Answer 3

Calculate how many kilowatt-hours and how many therms of gas you use and then record it over a period of months. Then calculate how both relate to energy production in Australia...coal, natural gas, or nuclear power and don't forget to take into account power loss in the transmission lines. ts