Ice Breaker Activity – 15 mins
Carbon footprint activity
What is a carbon footprint?
• The amount of carbon dioxide, or greenhouse gases, produced as a result of our daily living. In other words, many things we do creates carbon dioxide, or greenhouse gases. If you add up the amount of emissions our daily activity produces you have an idea of the size of the impact we have on the environment
Lights off
• With the piece of paper, draw your foot on a page
• Brainstorm a list of things we do that use energy and emit carbon dioxide. Write them inside the image of your foot.
GHG
GHG

Examples:
• Driving a car = burning fuel (gasoline)
• Flying in a plane = burning fuel (jet fuel)
• Buying imported food = food that travels over distances - burning fuel (gasoline/jet fuel)
• Buying beef = emits a lot of carbon dioxide
• Using inefficient lights = burning fuel (natural/gas/coal/nuclear energy)
• Wasting water at home = cleaning water uses (natural/gas/coal/nuclear energy)
• Don’t waste water (turn it off when you’re brushing your teeth/washing dishes)
• Bike/walk/scooter when you can
• Recycle and reuse paper at home and at school
Solutions:
Brainstorm eco-friendly options to shrink your carbon footprint (in a different marker):
• Emphasize that people shouldn't feel guilty if they can't do all of these, and that each individual should focus on whatever they are able to do
• Carpool
• Turn off lights when you’re not in the room

• Turn off the computer when it’s not being used
• Dont waste food
• Compost what you can
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