What is the Food, Energy, Water Conscious Project?
The Food, Energy Water Conscious project is an interdisciplinary effort with social, computer, and engineering scientists from six partner institutions, including: Michigan Technological University, Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, University of Minnesota, and USDA Forest Service. Over the course of the project, the group conducted a nationwide survey, interviews with household residents, and a long term study of household consumption in one county to understand:
- What role do households play in mitigating climate change?
- What technology and information barriers do we face at the household level?
- How can we shift household decision-making to prioritize sustainable living?
- What opportunities can household technology provide?
When the data was collected, a FEWCON Project Database was compiled.
In addition, data were collected from participating households to help them understand how their household behaviors —from the food they eat to their energy use patterns—impact climate change and water use.
HomeTracker Data
A FEWCON Project Database Repository has been compiled from the data collected using HomeTracker. The database includes monthly electricity, natural gas, and water use data for approximately 150 participating households over 18 months (January 2020 through June 2021), along with food purchases for two two-week food data collection periods. Survey data includes household demographics and structural characteristics (i.e., the Residential Energy Consumption Survey), and beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors expected to affect FEW consumption. A total of 11 survey rounds addressed specific topics, including food security, environmental and climate change awareness, COVID-19 risk perception and behaviors, and trust in institutions. An exit survey and exit interviews with a subsample of participants inquired about intended conservation behaviors following the completion of the study.
