"Leaving Fossil Fuel"

• This online version of Chapter 9 from Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution provides an in-depth look at the author's personal transformation from an energy-intensive lifestyle to a low-energy lifestyle.
• Students will observe charts, diagrams, and data and can use the emissions estimates provided to calculate their own emissions.

Positives

• This resource demonstrates how an individual can reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy their life even more than before because of the changes they made.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• This is a fairly long read, as it is an entire chapter, so make sure you plan accordingly.
• The author includes hyphens in several words that are not hyphenated, so you may need to address that with students.
  

Differentiation

• English courses can use this chapter to practice reading non-fiction literature and to discuss topics like the use of evidence, persuasiveness, and the difference between fact and opinion.
• Cross-curricular connections can be made with math courses by further exploring the data and graphs presented throughout the chapter.
• Science teachers can have students calculate their own emissions using the estimates provided in the text or an online calculator such as the Footprint Calculator and What is My Carbon Footprint?
  

The resource spotlights CO₂ quantification and estimation. The author provided basic indices to calculate individual carbon footprints from national averages. This resource is recommended for teaching.