Our Ecological Footprint

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Our Ecological Footprint

• IB Geography

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What is an Ecological Footprint?

• The ecological footprint is a measure of human
  demand on the Earths ecosystems.
• It compares human demand with planet Earth's
  ecological capacity to regenerate.

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What does it represent?

• The calculation takes into account
• Arable land the amount of land required for
  growing crops
• Pasture land resources required for growing
  animals for meat, hides, milk, etc.
• Forests for fuel, furniture and buildings
• Oceans for fish and other marine products
• Infrastructure transportation, factories and
  housing
• Energy costs land required for absorbing carbon
  dioxide and other energy wastes.
• Using this assessment, it is possible to estimate
  how much of the Earth (or how many planet Earths)
  it would take to support humanity if everybody
  lived a given lifestyle.

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So where are we at now?

• For 2008, humanity's total ecological footprint
  was estimated at 1.8 planet Earths in other
  words, humanity uses ecological services 1.8
  times as fast as Earth can renew them.
• Every year, this number is recalculated with a
  three year lag due to the time it takes for the
  UN to collect and publish all the underlying
  statistics.

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Ecological Footprint Calculator

• Calculate your own ecological footprint by going
  to http//www.myfootprint.org/
• Print your results page.
• Then on a separate sheet of paper answer the
  following questions
• Where category was responsible for the majority
  of your ecological footprint?
• What actions can you take to reduce your
  ecological footprint?

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Biocapacity

• The capacity of an area or ecosystem to generate
  an ongoing supply of resources and to absorb its
  wastes

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Overshoot

• Overshoot occurs when humanitys demand on nature
  exceeds the biospheres supply, or regenerative
  capacity.
• We have been in ecological overshoot since the
  mid 1980s

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Ecological Footprints do not

• Attempt to predict the future
• Indicate intensity with which a biologically
  productive area is being used
• Evaluate the social and economic dimensions of
  sustainability
• Instead, ecological footprints provide snapshots
  of past resource demand and availability

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Top 10 Countries by Ecological Footprint
Highest Footprints gha/pers Country Lowest Footprints gha/pers Country
15.99 UAE 0.6 Bangladesh
12.22 USA 0.66 Namibia
10.31 Kuwait 0.73 Sierra Leone
9.88 Denmark 0.75 Burundi
9.54 New Zealand 0.75 Chad
9.43 Ireland 0.76 Mozambique
8.49 Australia 0.78 Haiti
8.45 Finland 0.79 Bhutan
7.66 Canada 0.80 Guinea-Bissau
7.53 Sweden 0.82 Togo
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How do we measure our Ecological Footprint?

• Your ecological footprint is expressed in "global
  hectares" (gha) or "global acres" (ga), which are
  standardized units that take into account the
  differences in biological productivity of various
  ecosystems impacted by your consumption
  activities.
• Your footprint is broken down into four
  consumption categories carbon (home energy use
  and transportation), food, housing, and goods and
  services

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Carbon Footprint

• The carbon footprint is the amount of land and
  ocean area required to absorb the carbon
  emissions associated with a visitors home energy
  use and transportation.

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How can you reduce your carbon footprint?

• Reduce your carbon footprint by
• Walk, bike, or take public transit whenever
  possible.
• Avoid allowing your car to idle. If you'll be
  waiting for more than 30 seconds, turn off the
  engine (except in traffic
• Install compact fluorescent bulbs in all your
  home light fixtures
• Keep thermostat relatively low in winter and ease
  up on the air conditioning in summer. Clean or
  replace dirty air conditioner filters as
  recommended to keep the A/C operating at peak
  efficiency.
• Dry your clothes outside whenever possible.
• Defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly.
• Choose energy efficient appliances

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Food Footprint

• The food footprint is the amount of cropland,
  pastureland, and marine fisheries supporting
  annual food consumption plus the land and ocean
  area required to absorb the carbon emissions
  associated with food production, processing, and
  transportation.

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How can you reduce your Food Footprint?

• Reduce your food footprint by
• eat low on the food chain
• shop often at farmers markets or natural food
  stores
• select certified organic foods when they can
• eat fewer big meals
• maintain a garden for their vegetables and herbs
  have lower footprint values.

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Housing Footprint

• The housing footprint includes the spatial area
  of land taken up by a particular housing unit,
  the forestland area needed to produce wood
  products used in construction and furnishing, the
  cropland area displaced by household water
  consumption, and the land and ocean area required
  to absorb the carbon emissions associated with
  housing construction and maintenance.

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How can you reduce your Housing Footprint?

• You can reduce your housing footprint by
• Choosing furnishings that are second-hand,
  recycled, or sustainably produced.
• Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products.
• Wash cars rarely, or better yet, take them to a
  carwash. Commercial carwashes use less water per
  wash than home washers, and they are also
  required to drain used water into the sewage
  system, rather than storm drains.
• Take shorter, less frequent showers-this not only
  saves water, but the energy necessary to heat it.

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Goods and Services Footprint

• The goods and services footprint includes the
  amount of land and ocean area required to absorb
  the carbon emissions associated with
  manufacturing, transport, and disposal of goods,
  the land area used for commercial activities, and
  the forest area required to produce pulp and
  paper products.

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How can you reduce your Goods and Services
Footprint?

• You can reduce your Goods and Services Footprint
  by
• Buy less! Replace items only when you really need
  to.
• Recycle all your paper, glass, aluminum, and
  plastic. Don't forget electronics!
• Compost food waste for the garden.
• Buy recycled products, particularly those labeled
  "post-consumer waste."