CHE 572 Air Pollution Control Assignment 1

Name: Khong Hui Shan Student No.: 20548088 I am an exchange student who has been here for less a month, so I thought it would be more meaningful to estimate the carbon footprint in my home country, Singapore, instead of Canada. The calculator recommended in the assignment is adjusted to fit Canada, thus

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx is used instead to estimate the CO2 emission associated with my Singaporean lifestyle.

1) Estimated CO2 emission: 7.08 tonnes/year Lower than the average footprint for the people in Singapore (i.e. 12.20 tonnes/year) Higher than the average footprint for industrial nations (i.e. 11 tonnes/year) and the average worldwide footprint (i.e. 4 tonnes)

2) Activity that contributes the most CO2 emissions: Rank 1 Activity Day-to-day activities Remarks Singapore imports most of its food products and consumer goods as it does not engage in large-scale manufacturing and agricultural activities. It is hence inevitable for Singaporeans to purchase large quantity of imported goods, but transportation of food across countries by land, air and/or sea involves huge emissions of CO 2.

(secondary emission) purchasing imported goods carbon-intensive recreational activities 2 Home activities using electricity

Temperature averages at 29C all year round in Singapore, thus it is common for Singaporean households to switch on their ACs daily.

intensive appliances e.g. air-conditioner,

water heater daily 3 Transport

3) Steps I can realistically take to lower my emissions: Food Electricity buy produce from nearby countries avoid purchasing unnecessary consumer goods e.g. clothes, tablets, laptops use electric fan instead of AC on cooler days, replace current old AC with energy saving AC learn how to shower with cold water (i.e. minimize the use of water heater) be more diligent in switching off electrical appliances (especially lights and fans) when they are not in use Waste Drop aluminium tin cans into recycling bins instead of waste bins Reduce the use of paper e.g. foolscap, printing paper

Transport

Walk instead of taking bus if the destination is just 1 - 2 bus stops away

4) Comments on the calculator: It requires user to indicate where he/she lives in o This allows a more accurate calculation of CO2 emissions from electricity usage, which is affected by how the electricity is generated in the region (e.g. from coal, gas, nuclear, renewables, etc.). It attempts to capture secondary footprint (i.e. emissions caused through the manufacture, delivery and disposal of products and services we buy) o One ay risk under-estimating ones carbon footprint quite considerably if it is not captured in the calculations.

Figure 1: Screenshot of Carbon Footprint Calculation Results