Sustainability

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Sustainability

• Chapter 6

Sustainability using natural resources at a rate
that does not deplete them
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What impacts are humans having on the biosphere
(Earth)?

• Deforestation
• Results from loss of trees for burning (fuel),
  building homes, clearing for farmland
• Leads to severe erosion (loss of soil)
• Permanent changes to ecosystems

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• Overfishing
• Harvesting fish faster than they can be replaced
• Results in collapse of food chains, species
  extinction

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• Pollution
• Air pollution affects those with respiratory
  issues (smog)
• Results from car emissions and burning of fossil
  fuels
• Water pollution
• Chemicals, waste and sewage enter waterways
• Effects aquatic ecosystems and organisms
• Limits access to clean drinking water

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• Species Extinction
• Species loss due to pollution, habitat
  destruction, poaching
• Invasive Species
• An introduced species that is not native to a
  particular area
• Causes disruption in ecosystem food chains and
  habitats

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• Waste Production
• Thousands of tons of trash dumped into landfills
  each year
• Most is non-biodegradable or contains potentially
  harmful or toxic chemicals

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How do we measure our impact?

• Ecological Footprint the productive area of land
  needed to support one person in a particular
  country
• Food, housing, crops, grazing, forest area to
  absorb pollution

http//www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/p
age/calculators/
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Personal Ecological Footprint

• Calculate your personal footprint using the
  worksheet
• Average is 24-25 acres per person in the US
• Draw the size of your footprint on a separate
  sheet of paper (1 acre 1 cm)
• Include your name and size of footprint
• Color!
• Look at your calculationswhat might you do to
  reduce your footprint?
• Write your answer on the back of your drawn
  footprint

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