Green Science Projects: Earth Day

Posted by David Wetzel

Global warming is more of concern for our children than it is for adults today, although this does not mean we need to ignore green living. This is why this new generation must help focus on development of green living and Eco-friendly ideas.

Earth Day is April 22nd and now is the time to start planning for projects students can participate in support of Earth Day

Green Living Science Projects

The following are examples of green science projects students can investigate as science fair projects or complete as in class case studies.

Wind Energy Demonstration - Build a wind tower with small electric motor which generates power to do work or charge a battery. Use an external fan or hair dryer to simulate wind. Supply supporting information from major wind energy manufacturers.

Renewable Energy Survey - Conduct a study on the best renewable energy sources to use in your area and identify the opportunities and challenges to implementing such a plan.

Bio-diesel - Create bio-diesel from discarded fryer oil. Show the reactions and the issues around using bio-diesel in conventional diesel vehicles. Research new applications for bio-diesel fuels.

Composting - Perform an analysis of various waste streams to understand the potential reduction from composting (cafeteria, home, restaurant, etc.). Supporting evidence on uses of compost or organic matter in bio-fuels.

Cheapest / Greenest Batteries - Calculate the life cycle cost of various types of batteries in typical applications. For example, how many alkaline, rechargeable NiMH or Lithium AA would be required to operate a digital point-and-shoot for 1 hour per day for 1 year. Calculate the extended cost per year and measure the landfill and toxic metal contribution in addition to the total cost.

Energy Audits - Create and execute an energy audit in various settings and attempt to measure the impact of various changes. Obtain electric bills or other usage metrics and do before/after data analysis. Focus on specific areas such as compact fluorescent (CF) lighting or setback thermostats.

Carbon Footprint - Calculate the carbon footprint of various people you know. Suggest ways for them to lower their footprint. Explain the concept and compare footprints of your users to those in various places/countries.