Calculating Your Ecological Footprint Sustainability, Part 2

1. Calculating Your Ecological Footprint Sustainability, Part 2 Presenter Name, Ph.D. Presenter Title Arizona State University Last updated 08-22-07

2. By the end of this activity, you will be able to • define the concept of an ecological footprint. • list those things in your daily life that contribute the most to the size of your footprint.

3. What do people need? • All humans need basic things for their material and physical well-being • Air • Food • Water • Shelter Adapted from http://www.rprogress.org/

4. How do people meet these needs? • In general, we produce these necessities from resources that are extracted from the earth • In the process, we create waste streams that flow back into our environment. http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/default.asp

5. Products and the Environment • At first glance, the relationship between products and the environment may seem clear, BUT…. http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/default.asp

6. Let’s consider a simple french fry. • What impact does it have?

7. Suppliers Truck Producer Truck Processing Plant Truck Distribution Center Truck Bob’s Burger Shop How did the fry get to Bob’s Burger Shop? http://www.rprogress.org/

8. FossilFuels Fossil Fuels Fertilizers Suppliers Machinery Pesticides Irrigation Truck Fossil Fuels Seeds Producer Irrigation Machinery Fossil Fuels Truck Fossil Fuels Hydropower Processing Plant Hydroelectric dam Machinery Hydropower Food waste Fossil Fuels Truck Fossil Fuels Freezer Distribution Center Animal Feed Hydroflourocarbons Truck Fossil Fuels Freezer Bob’s Burger Shop Packaging What impact did its journey have? http://www.rprogress.org/

9. Air Pollution Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels Runoff Fertilizers Suppliers Machinery Loss of Biodiversity Pesticides Irrigation Truck Fossil Fuels Loss of Biodiversity Seeds Producer Irrigation Machinery Air Pollution Fossil Fuels Air Pollution Truck Fossil Fuels Hydropower Processing Plant Hydroelectric dam Machinery Loss of Biodiversity Hydropower Food waste Fossil Fuels Truck Fossil Fuels Freezer Distribution Center Animal Feed Damage To Ozone Hydroflourocarbons Truck Fossil Fuels Solid Waste Freezer Bob’s Burger Shop Packaging What impact did these impacts have? http://www.rprogress.org/

10. Forests Forests Air Pollution Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels Runoff Fertilizers Suppliers Machinery Loss of Biodiversity River Pesticides Irrigation Truck Fossil Fuels Loss of Biodiversity Seeds Producer Cropland Irrigation Machinery Air Pollution Fossil Fuels Air Pollution Truck Fossil Fuels Hydropower Forests Processing Plant Hydroelectric dam Machinery Loss of Biodiversity Hydropower Food waste Fossil Fuels Truck Fossil Fuels Freezer Distribution Center Grazing Land Animal Feed Damage To Ozone Hydroflourocarbons Truck Fossil Fuels Solid Waste Freezer Bob’s Burger Shop Packaging Forests Built-up Land Built-up Land How might all of this affect the earth’s systems? http://www.rprogress.org/

11. And that was just the potato! • Consider all the other parts of your meal • the other foods • the utensils • the napkins • the condiments • the drinks… • There are multiple environmental impacts involved in these as well.

12. There are social impacts, too. • Who did the work that brought the food to your table? • Under what conditions did they work?

13. Every choice we make has an impact on the planet. • An ecological footprint is a tool to measure our environmental impact. • It tracks how much individuals, organizations, cities, regions, or nations as a whole consume and compares this amount to the resources nature can provide. http://www.footprintnetwork.org

14. How big is your footprint? • There are currently about 6.7 billion people on the earth. • Do you believe that the planet has the capability to support your lifestyle for everyone?

15. Let’s find out! Click here to begin. • In the following activity, you will be guided through a series of questions that will be used to estimate your ecological footprint. • After you have completed the Quiz, you will record the result and then take the quiz twice more, making modifications as directed. Select the link above to take the quiz. When you’re done, close the pop-up window and return to this website

16. Results - Your Current Lifestyle • According to this website, if everyone lived like me, we would need _________ planets to support humanity.

17. What if you made some simple changes? Click here to begin. • Repeat the survey, but this time answer the questions hypothetically, based on modifications that you could easily make in your current lifestyle to reduce your ecological footprint. Select the link above to take the quiz a second time. When you’re done, close the pop-up window and return to this website

18. Results - With Simple Changes • According to this website, if If I attempted to reduce my ecological footprint by making a few easy changes in my lifestyle, we would need _________ planets to support humanity.

19. What if you made some difficult changes? Click here to begin. • Repeat the survey one last time, based on modifications that you could theoretically make, but that would be very difficult for you, or would represent a substantial change from the way you live now. Select the link above to take the quiz a final time. When you’re done, close the pop-up window and return to this website

20. Results - With Difficult Changes • According to this website, if If I attempted to reduce my ecological footprint by making substantial changes in my lifestyle, we would need _________ planets to support humanity.

21. You Now = 7.6 Earths You With Difficult Changes: 5.1 Earths Average North American: 5.3 Earths You With Simple Changes: 7.2 Earths How you compare…

22. Reflection • What about your current lifestyle do you believe causes the greatest impact? • Are you likely to make changes in your lifestyle in order to reduce your ecological footprint? • Why or why not?

23. Remember-- • There are many different types of ecological footprint surveys. • Some are based upon very detailed information, while some are calculated using just a few specific pieces of information. • Ecological footprints can be used to describe the entire human population, an individual, or any sized entity in between. http://www.allspecies.org/neigh/nbrfootp.htm

24. One criticism of footprints is that different groups define and measure footprints differently, making it difficult to make comparisons across regions or nations. • The Global Footprint Network is an organization whose mission is to calculate footprints to provide information about resource use to decision-makers. • They use and advocate strict standards to assure the scientific integrity of the measurements used to calculate footprints. • To learn more, see • http://www.footprintnetwork.org/ • http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=standards

25. Links for Further Information The Global Footprint Network http://www.footprintnetwork.org/ Sustainable UK Lifestyle Assessment (Includes a downloadable excel spreadsheet to calculate the sustainability of your lifestyle on a variety of dimensions) http://www.sus-uk.com/individuals/ The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Change Calculator http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/ The University Of British Columbia’s Sustainability Survey and Eco-Footprint Calculator http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/eco-survey/ Calculator for Kids http://www.islandwood.org/kids/impact/footprint/index.php

26. You have completed Part 2 of the sustainability component of ASU 101. • See you in class!