ChEE/ENGR/??? Carbon Auditing and Sustainable Practices Spring 2014 University of Arizona

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1 ChEE/ENGR/??? Carbon Auditing and Sustainable Practices Spring 2014 University of Arizona Instructor: Dr. Paul Blowers Office Hours: To Be Determined 128 Harshbarger Students should contact the instructor by instead of by telephone. He checks his telephone messages every 2-3 weeks, but checks very often and responds. Students should be aware that phone calls may not be returned in a timely manner. The telephone number is For questions about assignments or exam that are content related, students should first consult the D2L discussion board and then post their question to that if it has not been answered for another student already. Lecture: This course will be offered through hybridized format through D2L combined with in person discussions. Students will be required to work through 3 interactive hours of material per week and then meet 1 hour per week live in order to ensure they are achieving the objectives, have time to ask questions, and explore topics in depth. The interactive materials will have short lectures that are recorded and then use embedded quizzes in order to get students to think about the material and then come prepared with good questions. TAs/Preceptors: The TA will be determined in the first week of the course. Course Description: This course is specifically designed to support campus, and future industrial and public, efforts on achieving carbon neutrality so that sustainability will not be impaired by global climate change. Students will learn about life cycle assessment, carbon footprints, and the definitions needed in order to support evaluations in both arenas. The course is intended to provide students with the background that they could use their science, business, or engineering background to perform the data collection and accounting procedures with justification from published or high quality sources to evaluate current and future practices. Students will also receive training and build skills in how to use persuasive arguments based on not only reducing footprint but also enhancing financial benefits that will help support them in achieving sustainable practices in their future careers. An illustrative example using a campus facet will help ground the course in real-world problems and details so that students can learn how to handle the issues that arise. Text: There is no required text, although the course will use published international standards, rely on papers from the library, and occasionally use a chapter or section of a published book that is shared through fair use on D2L. Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students should: be able to set organizational boundaries so that GHG audits and LCAs are meaningful be able to analyze how changing a boundary or functional unit may change results to be able to convey carbon audit results in written form, both technically and with proper economic details in a way that conveys information in a relevant way to a non-expert to be able to understand and use industry standards for auditing GHG emissions and environmental impacts, including those evolving and those that are established (e.g., ISO 14000) to be able to explain to both experts and non-experts how an improvement of a process/office/facility should be/was made and how the outcomes matter financially and environmentally. to be able to perform sensitivity analyses on key variables to be able to develop realistic and reality-based improvements to existing practices. 1

2 to be able to analyze a facility/business to identify questions that will lead to data collection efforts that reduce environmental footprints through concrete data analysis Course Prerequisites: Students should be juniors in their respective science, business or engineering courses in order to take this course. Course Website: D2L website for ChEE 201 Important Dates to Keep in Mind: Last day to drop a course where it will not appear on the record of enrollment, September 16, Last day to drop a course with a withdrawal of "W", October 14, Students must be passing the course in order to withdraw at this time. Course Grading Policies: Homework quizzes, and group projects (20 % of grade) Homework is due at the beginning of the class on the day it is due to the d2l dropbox. Late homework will not be accepted. Comment [b1]: these will vary by year and will be changed. Class participation: Because the classroom environment is a hybrid one, meaning that much of the work is done out of class using online recordings and quizzes, and because the in class discussions are vital to the building of knowledge, 5 % of the total grade will be determined by students accessing and learning from the online recordings in a timely manner. Another 5 points will come from students attendance and participation in class. To eliminate confusion and difficulties in staying current, students will have 1 week from the date homework, quizzes, or exams are returned to discuss grading criteria and scores. After the 1 week time limit has passed, students will not be able to petition for changes. Additionally, students who do their homework with a team are responsible for knowing their score and retaining copies of the scored coversheet for their records. On the final exam, students will have 1 week into the new semester to petition on final grading scores. To ensure students are responsible for their materials, work that is returned to students will be kept for 1 week after the first day a return to a student is attempted. If a student has not claimed their homework after 1 week of attempts in class, it will be recycled. Exams (one midterm 20%). The in class midterm will assess how students have mastered the fundamental definitions, processes, and details covered up until that date. Make-up exams: A make-up exam may be arranged if you notify the instructor before the regularly scheduled exam. A makeup exam will be scheduled only if the student has a valid reason for missing the regularly scheduled exam. Verifiable illness with notification from the emergency dean or documentable family emergencies are valid reasons for missing an exam. Homework: (10% of grade): Homework assignments will be due weekly to D2L dropboxes and may be occasionally individual or team based in nature. These assignments will be combined with the 5% of the course grade from the interactive quizzes to total 15% of the grade. Project: (25% or grade): Analysis of one campus aspect will involve teams of students in evaluating the carbon implications of a current or future practice as a way of exploring and mastering carbon audit practices. These projects may involve analyses of the campus ice fields, evaluation of transportation practices and incentives for reducing driving, composting, rainwater harvesting, and other practices at university wide or departmental levels, depending on campus input in the semester prior to course offering. Final exam: (20 % of grade). Comprehensive final on December 13th, 1 pm to 3 pm. A comprehensive final will be given during the scheduled period during finals. Comment [b2]: date will be semester specific and modified. 2

3 Plagiarism: Although this course is not writing intensive, plagiarism is strongly discouraged. The plagiarism policies within the Student Code of Academic Integrity will be strictly followed: Threatening Behavior: The general policies against threatening behavior by students will be followed: Grading Rubric: Letter grades on exams or assignments will not be determined; a final letter grade will be given at the end of the semester instead. This course will be graded on a straight scale as follows: Total percentage of points earned Final Grade % A % B % C % D < % E Absence Policies: All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honors for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion. Absences pre-approved by the Dean of Students (or Dean's designee) will also be honored if the students provides advance notification. Accessibility and Accommodations: It is the University s goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact Disability Resources ( ) to establish reasonable accommodations SALT Center and Disability Resource Center: Students who are able to use the services of the Strategic Alternatives Technology Center or may have other educational needs may see the professor at any time to discuss accommodations for their needs. However, this should be done at least 1 week prior to the first exam to allow for preparations that may be needed. Students who are registered with the Disability Resource Center must submit appropriate documentation to the instructor if they are requesting reasonable accommodations: Standards for Homework Problems and Quizzes: 1. Briefly restate the problem using a sketch or diagram where appropriate. Label the sketch or diagram with all quantities involved. 2. Indicate the basis you select, and indicate any change of basis within the problem. State assumptions. 3. Include both the numerical value and units for all quantities involved, including intermediate results. 4. Answers should be circled or otherwise marked, and reported to an appropriate number of significant digits. 5. Values obtained from a handbook or other reference should be accompanied by a citation. For example: CCl 4 boiling pt o C (CRC, pg C-373) 6. Show how you have checked your work if appropriate. 7. Be clear and concise when writing answers to questions. Homework Submissions: Homework can be done either individually or in groups that have up to three people in them and you can change groups each week, as schedules allow. All three names must appear on the paper and the homework will be returned to the person who is listed first. It is up to the teammates to archive copies and to verify scores as materials are returned. Note, if students are putting their name on group homeworks and not actually solving the problems, the likelihood of failing the course become nearly certain as the homework is training for the exams. 3

4 Homework may be submitted either to D2L as a scan that is legible or may be turned in, in person at the beginning of the class when they are due. Standards for Style and Presentation of Problem Sets 1. All assignments are to be submitted on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with writing on one side only. Multiple pages must be stapled together. Unlined paper may be used if the work is done neatly. Handwriting must be legible. 2. Each page must have the student's name, the course number and the page number in the upper right hand corner. Substandard work will result in a loss of credit. Required Extracurricular Activities: none Special Materials Required for the Class: See online course content. Changes to the Syllabus: The information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies may be subject to change with reasonable advanced notice as deemed appropriate by the instructor. 4

5 XXX Fall 2013 Class Schedule M, W, F (subject to change - check D2L for updates): Reading Assigned Homework Due Topic 8/26 M Couse syllabus/complex Systems 8/28 W Contributors to Carbon Footprints 8/30 F HW1 LCA paper and reading one that we've selected and writing down open ended questions give number of points for number of unique ideas 9/2 M 9/4 W Labor Day- no classes 9/6 F HW2 carbon footprint calculator comparisons 9/9 M 9/11 W HW3 9/13 F 9/16 M 9/18 W HW4 9/20 F 9/23 M 9/25 W HW5 9/27 F 9/30 M 10/2 W HW6 10/4 F 10/7 M 10/9 W HW7 10/11 F 10/14 M 10/16 W HW8 10/18 F 10/21 M 10/23 W HW9 10/25 F 10/28 M 10/30 W HW10 11/1 F 11/4 M 11/6 W HW11 11/8 F 11/11 M Veteran s Day- no classes 11/13 W HW12 11/15 F 11/18 M 11/20 W HW13 carbon footprint calculators II 11/22 F 11/25 M 11/27 W HW14 11/29 F Thanksgiving Recess 12/2 M 12/4 W 12/6 F Project 12/9 M 5

6 12/11 W Review HW16 TBD F Final Exam XXX All homework is due on the days listed above unless otherwise designated on a specific problem handout. XXX Fall 2013 Class Schedule T, Th (subject to change - check D2L for updates): Reading Assigned Homework Due Topic 8/27 T Couse syllabus/complex Systems 8/29 Th HW1 Contributors to Carbon Footprints 9/3 T 9/5 Th HW2 carbon footprint calculator comparisons 9/10 T 9/12 Th HW3 9/17 T 9/19 Th HW4 9/24 T 9/26 Th HW5 10/1 T 10/3 Th HW6 10/8 T 10/10 Th HW7 10/15 T 10/17 Th HW8 10/22 T 10/24 Th HW9 10/29 T 10/31 Th HW10 11/5 T 11/7 Th HW11 11/12 T 11/14 Th HW12 11/19 T 11/21 Th HW13 carbon footprint calculators II 11/26 T 11/28 Th Thanksgiving Recess- no classes 12/3 T HW14 12/5 Th Project 12/10 T Last Class 12/12 Th Reading Day- no classes or finals TBD Final Exam XXX All homework is due on the days listed above unless otherwise designated on a specific problem handout. 6

7 XXX Spring 2014 Class Schedule M,W,F (subject to change - check D2L for updates): Reading Assigned Homework Due Topic 1/15 W Couse syllabus/complex Systems 1/17 F HW1 Contributors to Carbon Footprints 1/20 M MLK Jr. Holiday- no classes 1/22 W 1/24 F Labor Day- no classes 1/27 M HW2 carbon footprint calculator comparisons 1/29 W 1/31 F HW3 2/3 M 2/5 W 2/7 F HW4 2/10 M 2/12 W 2/14 F HW5 2/17 M 2/19 W 2/21 F HW6 2/24 M 2/26 W 2/28 F HW7 3/3 M 3/5 W 3/7 F HW8 3/10 M 3/12 W 3/14 F HW9 3/17 M Spring Recess 3/19 W Spring Recess 3/21 F Spring Recess 3/24 M HW10 3/26 W 3/28 F HW11 3/31 M 4/2 W Veteran s Day- no classes 4/4 F HW12 4/7 M 4/9 W 4/11 F HW13 carbon footprint calculators II 4/14 M 4/16 W 4/18 F HW14 4/21 M 7

8 4/23 W 4/25 F 4/28 M Project 4/30 W 5/2 F HW16 5/5 5/7 M W Review Last Day of Classes TBD Final Exam XXX All homework is due on the days listed above unless otherwise designated on a specific problem handout. XXX Spring 2014 Class Schedule T, Th (subject to change - check D2L for updates): Reading Assigned Homework Due Topic 1/16 Th Couse syllabus/complex Systems 1/21 T HW1 Contributors to Carbon Footprints 1/23 Th 1/28 T HW2 carbon footprint calculator comparisons 1/30 Th 2/4 T HW3 2/6 Th 2/11 T HW4 2/13 Th 2/18 T HW5 2/20 Th 2/25 T HW6 2/27 Th 3/4 T HW7 3/6 Th 3/11 T HW8 3/13 Th HW9 3/18 T Spring Recess 3/20 Th Spring Recess 3/25 T HW10 3/27 Th 4/1 T HW11 4/3 Th 4/8 T HW12 4/10 Th 4/15 T HW13 carbon footprint calculators II 4/17 Th 4/22 T 4/24 Th HW14 4/29 T Project 5/1 Th HW16 5/6 5/8 T Th Last Class Reading Day- no classes or finals TBD Final Exam XXX 8

9 All homework is due on the days listed above unless otherwise designated on a specific problem handout. 9