Environmental Life-Style Audit
In order to live on this planet we consume natural resources. When we live on
this planet everything we do has an impact. The purpose of this learning opportunity is to
begin to develop an awareness of our roles as consumers within our ecosystem (closed
box). Life is extremely complex. Decision-making is part of that complexity. Decisions
provide for us the opportunity to direct our lives. A series of personal decisions are what
create life-styles. To live intentionally requires that we understand our decisions.
The first step toward an intentional life-style is to realize what decisions face us
each day and the choices which we make regarding our impact while on the earth (closed
box). You cannot throw anything away. The system in which we live is essentially a
closed system (box) containing a finite set of resources. You may move a substance or a
problem from one place to another, but you cannot remove it from the system (box). We
need to become aware of the cycles of things we touch and use daily.
Choose a 48-hour period that reflects your daily lifestyle. You will need to keep
a close ‘eye’ on yourself and keep a log of most of your activities. You might best think of
it as a game (at least try to make it fun). The two games are called: “Comings and
Goings” and “Energy Consumption.”
When you are done with the logs and the lifecycle of one item, you will need to
write a ONE-PAGE SUMMARY of your reactions, conclusions, or reflections on the
value of this experience.
Each of the games is explained below and you must complete each” game log.”
The templates provided on the website for each :game” can be filled in and submitted,
along with the lifecycle of one item and your 1 page reflection included on the same
document. If all goes as planned, this will be submitted via Turnitin.com. All 4
components of this assignment should be in one document. If you prefer, you may create
your own template in Word or Excel, but please follow the same setup that I have in the
template on the course website.
Comings and Goings
Everything, which enters your life in the next 48 hours with the exception of
human relationships, should be logged on a chart as outlined below. Every material
object like the library book you sign-out, or the new CD you buy, or the food you eat, or
the TV you watch should be entered into the log. If you get to 50 items before the 48hour period is over, then you may stop. List the item, then write down where it came
from prior to your possession of it, where you think if probably came from before that,
and then record what you do to it (keep it or pass it on). If you “throw it away”, then list
how it might have been passed elsewhere other than the garbage can.
At the conclusion of this experience, pick one item from your list and trace its full
life-cycle – from the beginning from basic elements of the universe and returning to
basic elements of the universe.
Your log will include the following: Object Name, Where It Came From, Before That
(Still Have It or Gone elsewhere?) Be specific.
*See Template and Examples on course website.*
Energy Consumption
We all consume energy. Our bodies consume energy in order for us to live. This
learning opportunity is designed to have us look at our energy use beyond that which our
physical bodies consume, and to ask if other choices exist as substitution(s) for that
energy.
For example, if we drove home tonight; that requires energy. Energy is not just in
the gasoline consumed but also in making the car itself. We could calculate that energy
utilization. We could also choose to reduce that level of consumption. If you rode with
someone else, you could reduce your energy usage value by 50%; three people would
reduce the usage by 66%, and so forth. Or, you could use another mode of transportation
that requires less total energy consumption.
So….. how do we play this game? Well, for the next 48 hours, list the “energy
consumption” with regard to the activities you engage in. Then, you’ll assign an
“estimate” of energy usage value. Third, write some choices for conservation alternatives.
Please do not concern yourself with whether you would actually make those choices – just
ponder the possibilities. When/if your list reaches 25 items before the 48-hour period,
you may stop the game.
Your typed log for this game must include the following:
CONSUMPTION, ACTIVITY, ENERGY ALTERNATIVE (S), UNITS USED,
MONETARY VALUE.
* See Template and examples on course website.*
Logical question: how do we calculate the energy units and monetary values?
See the links on the course website for information on calculating watts and the monetary
value of each item. The Mr. Electricity link will give you a breakdown of average
wattages as well as a calculator. CSG Network also has a pretty slick calculator. The
other two sites have a nice break down of kilowatt hours and monetary values for each
appliance. Use the ones that make most sense to you.
Reminder: this assignment will include 4 components:
• Comings and Goings
• Energy Usage
• Life cycle of one item
• Summary/Conclusion
Will this feel tedious? Yep. Is it worthwhile? Yes. For most students, it is. It depends
on how actively you engage in the experience. Don’t BS your way through it – take the
time to really assess your life-style, and I am pretty confident this will be a very
informative and eye-opening experience!
Energy Consumption
Consumption
Activity
Energy
Alternative
Units Used /
Time
Cost
ex. Electricity
Watching TV
Read a book
200 watts, 5 hours
$.014
ex. Gasoline
Driving to work
Carpool/Ride bike
60 miles
$30
1.gasoline
Carpool/walk
3 miles
$1
2.electricity
Driving to
store
Watching tv
Do homework
$0.32
3. electricity
Over head fan
Go inside pool
4.electricity
A/C
Go inside pool
4 hours, 260
watts
15 hours, 98
watts
8 hours, 3500
watts
5. electricity
computer
Read/go outside
$0.05
6. electricity
lights
Leave off/go
outside
5 hours, 45
watts
6 hours, 60
watts
7. Electricity
Toaster/over
Eat fruit
$0.11
8. water
shower
Take a shower in
the pool
30 mins,
720watts
5 min, 60 liters
9.gasoline
Carpool/ bike
60 miles
$30.00
10. electricity
Driving to
work
Book light
flashlight
$0.02
11.electricity
Cable box
Read a book/
play outside
20 mins, 60
watts
4 hours, 45
watts
12.electricity
tv
Do homework/
go out
$0.64
13.electricity
Cable box
Read a book/
play outside
8 hours
(football), 260
watts
8 hours 45 watts
14. electricity
A/C
Go inside pool/
go to beach
8 hours, 3500
watts
$4.20
15.electricity
Over head fan
Go inside
pool/go to beach
15 hours, 98
watts
$0.21
16.electricity
computer
Read/go outside
8 hours 45 watts
$0.07
17.
18.
$0.21
$4.20
$0.06
Approx
$1.00
$0.03
$0.06
19.
20
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Total electricity cost during Audit: _________$11.20______________
Total gasoline cost during Audit: __________$31.00______________
Estimated Yearly Electricity Cost: __________$2,044
Very thorough. Well done!
Comings and Goings
Object Name
Where From
Before That
Where it
went
Could
have….
ex. Apple
Ralphs
Apple Orchard
Ate, threw
away core.
Composted
core.
ex. Gum
Store/Wrigleys
factory
Synthetic
rubbers /Gum
Base
recycled
wrapper
1. milk
Vons/farm
Inside cow utter
Threw
away gum
and
wrapper.
In
stomach
Watered
plants ☺
2 cereal- honey
bunches of oats
Vons/factory
Grains, nuts in
fields and
manufactured in
a factory
Ate it,
threw the
box away
Recycled the
box and
reused the
plastic
3 bbq chicken
Vons/factory
chicken
Ate it
Composted
4. water
Vons/mountain
H2O
threw it
away
Recycled the
bottle
5. Watch tv
Best buy
Samsung factory
Kept box
Recycled box
6. apple
Vons/factory
Apple orchard
Ate, threw
it away
7 pear
Vons/factory
Pear orchard
Ate, threw
it away
8 nectarine
Vons/factory
Nectarine
orchard
Ate, threw
it away
9 watermelon
Vons/factory
Watermelon
orchard
Ate, threw
it away
10 honey dew
Vons/factory
Honey dew
orchard
Ate, threw
it away
11 enchilada
Vons/factory
Different
contents from a
factory
Ate, threw
it away
Composted
core, planted
seeds
Composted
core, planted
seeds
Composted
core, planted
seeds
Composted
skin, planted
seeds
Composted
skin, planted
seeds
Recycled the
plastic bag
12 protein bar
Vons/factory
Chocolate,
peanut butter,
different grains
and fillers
Ate, threw
it away
Recycled
plastic bag
13 celery
Vons/factory
Vegetablegarden
Ate, threw
it away
Composted
leaves
14 steak
Vons/factory
Animal farm
Ate, threw
it away
15 chocolate
Vons/factory
Chocolate
factory
Saved it
for later
16 nuts
Vons/ packing
plant
Nut orchard
Ate
Used the
trimmings as
feed for
chicken
Oil could be
used to a lot
of things
Could of
planted seeds
17 pencil
Target??
Bic factory
Used it
Could of used
a pen, no
wood
Recycled
18 paper
target
Paper mill
Used it
19 toothbrush
costco
Colgate factory
Using it
20 tv remote
Direct tv
Tech company in
china
Using it
21laptop
Best buy
HP
Using it
22 book
library
Bantam
publishing
Reading it
23 car
Toyota
dealership
Car assembly
factory
Still here
24 utensils
macys
Silverware
factory
Washing
them
25 fan
Came with house
Hardware store
On my
ceiling
26canteen
Yosemite gift
shop
Aluminum can
warehouse
Reusing it
27 toothpaste
vons
Colgate factory
Using it
28 toilet paper
costco
Kirkland factory
Used it
29. Mach 5 razor
costco
gillete
Using it
30 bbq chicken
bag
Vons/ factory
Chicken farm
Threw it
away
Reused the
zipllock bag
31 receipt
vons
Paper mill
Threw it
away
Reused it and
write on it
32 receipt
costco
Paper mill
Threw it
away
Reused it and
write on it
33 receipt
Gas station
Paper mill
threw it
away
Reused it and
write on it
Used my old
one
Use it for all
my tech
remotes
Used my old
one
Gotten an
ebook and
saved paper
Recycled
each piece at
a junk yard
Use utensils
more than
once
Placed it
closer to the
ground to
save energy
Shared with
more people
Recycle the
bottle
Use only one
ply
Use it more
than once
34 toilet paper
roll and bag
costco
Kirkland factory
Threw it
away
35 shampoo
costco
Kirkland factory
Used and
threw
away
36 toothpaste
box
Costco
Kirkland factory
Opened
and threw
away
37. Utensil
packaging
macys
Silverware
factory
Threw it
away
38 laptop box
Best buy
HP factory
Using it as
a folder
39 paper plastic
wrapping
target
Paper mill
Threw it
away
40 lamb shank
vons
Meat factory
Ate it and
threw it
away
41 plastic bags
for
fruits/vegetables
vons
Plastic factory
Threw
them all
away
42 paper towel
costco
bounty
43 paper towel
wrapping
costco
bounty
Used and
threw
away
Threw it
away
44 soap
costco
dove
45 soap bottle
costco
Dove factory
Used and
threw
bottle
away
Threw
away
bottle
Reused the
bag, and used
the roll as a
iphone
speakers
Used bottle to
carry
different
things
Use it as a
box to hold
different
things
Used the box
to organize
desk
materials
(pens)
Use it as a
folder and
filing cabinet
Reused the
plastic for
holding
different
materials
Used bones as
tools
Reused them
for next
shopping or
for trash bags
Washed it and
reused it
Used it to put
stuff in
Mixed with
water to make
it last longer
Used bottle to
fill up soap
again
46. Swiss army
knife (SAK)
Gift
from switzerland
swiss
Used it
47 ziplock
costco
Ziplock factory
48 bread
costco
Bread bakery
Used it
and threw
away
Ate it
49peanut butter
costco
Jiff factory
Ate it
50 nutella yum!
Costco
Nutella factory
Ate it
Use SAK
instead of
buying other
utensils
Reused it for
other foods
Used less to
save
Used less to
save
Used less to
save
Energy Consumption
Consumption
ex. Electricity
ex. Gasoline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Activity
Watching TV
Driving to work
Energy Alternative
Read a book
Carpool/Ride bike
Units Used / Time
200 watts, 5 hours
60 miles
Total electricity cost during Audit: _______________________
Total gasoline cost during Audit: ________________________
Estimated Yearly Electricity Cost: ________________________
Cost
$.014
$30
Comings and Goings
Object Name
Where From
Before That
Where it went
ex. Apple
Ralphs
Apple Orchard
ex. Gum
Store/Wrigleys
factory
Synthetic rubbers
/Gum Base
Ate, threw away
core.
Threw away gum
and wrapper.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Could
have….
Composted
core.
recycled
wrapper
28
29
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
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