Offsetting Carbon Emissions With Forests


The School District uses oil to heat school buildings. Go Green! is a new project the district will implement. The superintendent has declared that the district will dedicate itself to reducing its carbon footprint. In addition to taking serious energy-conservation measures, the district is planning to help offset its carbon dioxide emissions by raising money to help conserve a portion of a large tract of forest land adjacent to the high school campus.


Use the assumptions below to answer the questions that follow. For each calculation, show all work.



Calculate the mass of carbon, in kg, that is accumulated and stored in 1.0 ha of forest in one year





Calculate the mass of carbon, in kg, that is emitted by the school as a result of its fuel-oil consumption in one year.





Calculate the number of hectares of forest the school district needs to conserve in order to offset the carbon
released in one year by the school burning its fuel oil.





Calculate the amount of money the school district must raise for the conservation project.