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Description

Scouts need to decide which of two options has the lowest Carbon Footprint.

Resources

Pens & Paper

Instructions

Divide the Troop into Patrols.

Present these 6 pairs. For each pair, they must commit to one item.

At the end, reveal the CO_2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) and total them up.

​Pair 1: The Burger
​A: 1x Quarter Pounder Beef Burger (approx 4,000g CO2)
​B: 1x Plant-based "Meat" Burger (approx 300g CO2)

​The Fact: Beef is the highest-impact food on the planet due to methane and land use. Plant-based versions use roughly 90% less carbon.

​Pair 2: The Fruit Bowl
​A: 1kg of Local Apples kept in cold storage for 6 months (approx 400g CO2)
​B: 1kg of Bananas shipped from South America (approx 480g CO2)

​The Fact: This is a trickier one! Bananas are actually very efficient because they grow in the sun (no greenhouses) and travel by boat (low carbon per kg). Cold-storing local fruit for months can sometimes use more energy than shipping!

​Pair 3: The Movie Night
​A: Streaming a movie in 4K for 2 hours (approx 300g CO2)
​B: Watching a movie on an old DVD Player and Plasma TV (approx 800g CO2)

​The Fact: Old technology (like Plasma screens) is incredibly "leaky" with energy. However, if they have a modern LED TV, streaming uses more data center energy.

​Pair 4: The School Run (Lifecycle)
​A: 5 miles in a 10-year-old Petrol Car (approx 1,800g CO2)
​B: 5 miles in a brand new Electric Vehicle (400g } CO2)

​The Fact: Even accounting for the "dirty" manufacturing of an EV battery, driving it is significantly cleaner on the UK's current 2026 energy grid.

​Pair 5: The Morning Brew
​A: A Latte made with Cow's Milk (approx 550g CO2)
​B: A Black Coffee or Tea (approx 50g CO2)

​The Fact: Most of the carbon in a coffee isn't the bean; it's the milk. Dairy production is carbon-heavy.

​Pair 6: The Wardrobe
​A: A new Cotton T-shirt from a high-street shop (approx 7,000g CO2)
​B: A second-hand Polyester Jacket from a charity shop (0g CO2)

​The Fact: The "greenest" item is the one that already exists. Second-hand items have a "carbon cost" of zero for the new owner.

Tags

• carbon footprint
• earth day
• Environmental awareness

Badge Links

• Environmental Conservation - Local issue