Girl Scouts Forever Green - Environmental Metrics Assumptions

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Number of households (U.S.):

116.22 million

Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2011 (Early Release) edition. Table A-4 Residential Sector Key Indicators and Consumption.

Tree Carbon Sequestration:

10,347 lbs. CO/acre/year

Sources: Nabuurs, G.J., and G.M.J. Mohren. 1995. Modeling analysis of potential carbon sequestration in selected forest types. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 25(7):1157-1172. Shan, J.P., L.A. Morris, and R.L. Hendrick. 2001. The effects of management on soil and plant carbon sequestration in slash pine plantations. Journal of Applied Ecology 38(5):932-941. IPCC 2006, 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Prepared by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme, Eggleston H.S., Buendia L., Miwa K., Ngara T. and Tanabe K. (eds). Published: IGES, Japan. Volume 4. Available at http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/index.html.
Note: This information is also located on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

Car Emissions:

11,244 lbs. CO/car/year

Sources: EPA (2009). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007. Chapter 3 (Energy), Tables 3-12, 3-13, and 3-14. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. U.S. EPA #430-R-09-004 (PDF) (66 pp, 737K, About PDF) EPA (2010). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008. Annex 2 (Methodology for estimating CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion), Table A-33 and P. A-61. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. U.S. EPA #430-R-10-006 (PDF) (88 pp, 1.04MB, About PDF) FHWA (2008). Highway Statistics 2007. Office of Highway Policy Information, Federal Highway Administration. Table VM-1.
Note: This information is also located on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

CO Emissions Rate:

1.535 lbs. CO/kWh

Source: EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) number for 2010.

Unit Energy Consumption – Standard Incandescent:

65.7 kWh/year

Source: EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) number for 2010.

Unit Energy Consumption – CFL:

14.235 kWh/year

Source: EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) number for 2010.

Product Lifetime – CFL:

7.31 years

Note: 8,000 hour life for typical CFL bulb; the average bulb is used for 3 hours each day (1,095 hours per year). Source: Bulb lifetime is based on current ENERGY STAR CFL specification’s minimum lifetime for bare medium screw base compact fluorescent lamps. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/product_specs/program_reqs/cfls_prog_req.pdf. Average daily usage (interior) is based on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Appliance Labeling Rule. http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/06/100719appliancelabelingrule.pdf

Household lighting use per hour (assumes 3 hours of usage per day):

1.78 kWh/hr

Note: 1,950 kWh used for lighting annually; 3 hours of use each day. Source: Annual household lighting use is based on Navigant 2002 (DOE EERE Office of Building Technology), "U.S. Lighting Market Characterization, Volume I: National Lighting Inventory and Energy Consumption Estimate." Cited number is in table ES-1, Pg 10. Average daily usage (interior) is based on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Appliance Labeling Rule. http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/06/100719appliancelabelingrule.pdf. Average daily usage (interior) is based on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Appliance Labeling Rule. http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/06/100719appliancelabelingrule.pdf

CO Saved for Each Rain Garden Constructed:

0.0000022 lbs.

Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology, http://greenvalues.cnt.org/national/benefits_detail.php (EPA Office of Water)

Gallons of Water Saved for Each Rain Garden:

3,800 gallons

Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology, http://greenvalues.cnt.org/national/benefits_detail.php (EPA Office of Water)

Tree Carbon Sequestration:

10,347 lbs. CO/acre/year

Car Emissions:

11,244 lbs. CO/acre/year

Backyard Swimming Pool Capacity:

10,000 gallons

Source: EPA WaterSense, http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/fixleak.html

Average Full Bathtub Capacity:

100 gallons

Source: Water Systems Council, http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/VAiWebDocs/WSCDocs/2026952INSERT_CONSERV.pdf

Animal Wildlife Fed and Sheltered for Each Rain Garden:

1.02 wildlife

(Each rain garden planted with native plants aids in the survival of 1 native pollinators and 1/50th of a bird through the reduction of sediment) Source: U.S. EPA.

Weight of Aluminum Can:

.029 lbs.

Source: Alcoa Foundation

Average Annual Number of Aluminum Cans Used Per Person*:

325

Source: Alcoa Foundation * Lifetime usage calculated based on average lifespan of 77.9 years with average age of Girl Scout subtracted.

Energy Savings by Recycling One Pound of Aluminum:**

7 kWh

Source: Alcoa Foundation **One pound of aluminum equals 34 (12 oz.) aluminum cans.

Weight of Plastic Water Bottle:

0.05556 lbs.

Source: EPA Individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM), http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/iwarm/

Weight of Plastic Grocery Bag:

0.0077 lbs.

Source: EPA Individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM), http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/iwarm/

Average Annual Number of Plastic Water Bottles Used Per Person*:

166

Source: Refill Not Landfill Campaign, http://www.refillnotlandfill.org/whatcanyoudo.html
*Lifetime usage calculated based on average lifespan of 77.9 years with average age of Girl Scout subtracted.

Average Lifetime Number of Plastic Grocery Bags Used:

22,000

Source: ReuseThisBag.com, http://www.reusethisbag.com/25-reasons-to-go-reusable.asp

Energy Savings for Each Reusable Bottle Filled:

0.1 kWh

Source: EPA Individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM), http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/iwarm/

Energy Savings for Each Reusable Bag Used:

0.02 kWh

Source: EPA Individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM), http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/iwarm/
**Based on EPA iWARM which indicated that for every 15 plastic grocery bags recycled, 0.3 kWh of energy was saved

CO Emissions Rate:

1.535 lbs. CO/kWh

Source: EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) number for 2010.

Tree Carbon Sequestration:

10,347 lbs. CO/acre/year

Car Emissions:

11,244 lbs. CO/acre/year