www.asu.edu/asu101 calculating your ecological footprint sustainability, part 2 presenter name,...
TRANSCRIPT
www.asu.edu/asu101
Calculating Your Ecological Footprint
Sustainability, Part 2
Presenter Name, Ph.D.Presenter Title Arizona State University
Last updated 08-22-07
© 2007 Arizona State University
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.
© 2007 Arizona State University
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/
© 2007 Arizona State University
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
© 2007 Arizona State University
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
© 2007 Arizona State University
Let’s consider a simple french fry.
• What impact does it have?
© 2007 Arizona State University
How did the fry get to Bob’s Burger Shop?
Producer
Distribution Center
Processing Plant
Suppliers
Bob’s Burger Shop
Truck
Truck
Truck
Truck
http://www.rprogress.org/
© 2007 Arizona State University
What impact did its journey have?
Producer
Distribution Center
Processing Plant
Suppliers
Bob’s Burger Shop
Truck
Truck
Truck
Truck
Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels
Freezer
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Machinery
Hydropower
Fossil Fuels
Machinery
Fossil Fuels
Packaging
Hydroflourocarbons
Irrigation
Hydropower
Freezer
Food waste
Machinery
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Hydroelectric dam
Fossil Fuels
Animal Feed
Irrigation
Seeds
http://www.rprogress.org/
© 2007 Arizona State University
What impact did these impacts have?
Runoff
AirPollution
Loss ofBiodiversity
SolidWaste
AirPollution Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Freezer
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Truck
Truck
Machinery
Hydropower
Truck
Fossil Fuels
Machinery
Fossil Fuels
Damage To Ozone
Packaging
Hydroflourocarbons
Irrigation
Hydropower
Freezer
Food waste
Machinery Producer
Distribution Center
Processing Plant
Suppliers
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Truck
Hydroelectric dam
Loss ofBiodiversity
Fossil Fuels
Animal Feed
Loss ofBiodiversity
Irrigation
Seeds
Fossil Fuels
Bob’s Burger Shop
AirPollution
http://www.rprogress.org/
© 2007 Arizona State University
How might all of this affect the earth’s systems?
Runoff
AirPollution
Loss ofBiodiversity
SolidWaste
AirPollution Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Freezer
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Truck
Truck
Machinery
Hydropower
Truck
Fossil Fuels
Machinery
Fossil Fuels
Damage To Ozone
Packaging
Hydroflourocarbons
Forests
Irrigation
Forests Built-up Land
Grazing Land
Forests
River
Cropland
Hydropower
Freezer
Food waste
Machinery Producer
Distribution Center
Processing Plant
Suppliers
Bob’s Burger Shop
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Truck
Hydroelectric dam
Loss ofBiodiversity
Fossil Fuels
Built-up Land
Animal Feed
Loss ofBiodiversity
Irrigation
Seeds
AirPollution
Forests
http://www.rprogress.org/
© 2007 Arizona State University
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.
© 2007 Arizona State University
There are social impacts, too.
• Who did the work that brought the food to your table?
• Under what conditions did they work?
© 2007 Arizona State University
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
© 2007 Arizona State University
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?
© 2007 Arizona State University
Let’s find out!• 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
Click here to begin.
© 2007 Arizona State University
Results - Your Current Lifestyle
• According to this website, if everyone lived like me, we would need _________ planets to support humanity.
© 2007 Arizona State University
What if you made some simple changes?
• 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
Click here to begin.
© 2007 Arizona State University
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.
© 2007 Arizona State University
What if you made some difficult changes?
• 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
Click here to begin.
© 2007 Arizona State University
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.
© 2007 Arizona State University
How you compare…You Now = 7.6 Earths
You With Simple Changes: 7.2 Earths
You With Difficult Changes: 5.1 Earths
Average North American: 5.3 Earths
© 2007 Arizona State University
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?
© 2007 Arizona State University
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
© 2007 Arizona State University
• 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
© 2007 Arizona State University
Links for Further InformationThe Global Footprint Networkhttp://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 Calculatorhttp://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
The University Of British Columbia’s Sustainability Survey and Eco-Footprint Calculatorhttp://www.sustain.ubc.ca/eco-survey/
Calculator for Kidshttp://www.islandwood.org/kids/impact/footprint/index.php
© 2007 Arizona State University
• You have completed Part 2 of the sustainability component of ASU 101.
– See you in class!