5.11 Ecological Footprints
2 min read•january 4, 2023
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Human Impact
Human beings have a drastic effect on the environments and ecosystems they inhabit. An demonstrates one individual's map of environmental "participation"; food consumption, pollution output, etc. Ecological footprints can vary based on how careful one is about contributing to the environment or, in general, how many resources one uses to sustain themselves.
Calculating a Footprint
Ecological footprints can be determined for an individual, community, town, region, country, and planet Earth. There is a “cost” to produce goods and provide services.
Examples of questions or criteria that are used to calculate an include the following:
1) How do you get around? Walking, driving, etc.
2) How often do you fly in an airplane? Are your flights international?
3) How do you eat (Do you eat meat? Are you a vegetarian?)? Where do you get your food from?
4) How often do you buy new clothes and other things? Is your answer different regarding secondhand items?
5) Do you use (solar, wind, etc.) for heating your housing?
6) How long do you shower?
7) What temperature do you keep your housing at in the winter?
Image Courtesy of Pixabay
Individuals and Corporations
Some individuals or companies have a much bigger footprint or impact they will leave on the environment than others. We can compare and even calculate the impact a person has. Look at these two scenarios as examples: Person A. lives in an apartment, bikes to work and eat a vegetarian diet and Person B has a very large house, drives a large car a long way to work and eats a mostly red meat based diet. These two people would have a very different lasting impact on the world around them.
However, an individual's impact will be small compared to a corporation’s. Some very large corporations are responsible for massive amounts of , , , and water usage among other environmental impacts.
The is often used as a way to assess the of human activities. If the of a population is larger than the available ecological resources, then that population is living unsustainably and is overshooting its resource limits. This can lead to and a decline in the long-term well-being of the population.
🎥 Watch: AP Environmental Science - Sustainability
Key Terms to Review (7)
CO2 Production
: CO2 production refers to the release of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere through various human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which contributes to climate change.Deforestation
: Deforestation refers to the clearing, removal, or destruction of forests. It involves the permanent conversion of forested areas into non-forest land for various purposes such as agriculture, urbanization, or logging.Ecological Footprint
: An ecological footprint measures human demand on nature by calculating how much land area is required to sustain a particular population or individual's consumption patterns and waste production. It helps assess the impact of human activities on the environment.Environmental Degradation
: Environmental degradation refers to the deterioration of the environment through various human activities. It involves the depletion or destruction of natural resources, pollution, habitat loss, climate change, and other negative impacts on ecosystems.Plastic Pollution
: Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment that harms ecosystems and wildlife. It includes items like single-use plastics (e.g., bottles, bags) that do not easily biodegrade.Renewable energy
: Renewable energy refers to energy sources that can be replenished naturally within a human lifetime. These sources include solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass.Sustainability
: Sustainability refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves using resources in a way that preserves and protects them for long-term use.5.11 Ecological Footprints
2 min read•january 4, 2023
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Human Impact
Human beings have a drastic effect on the environments and ecosystems they inhabit. An demonstrates one individual's map of environmental "participation"; food consumption, pollution output, etc. Ecological footprints can vary based on how careful one is about contributing to the environment or, in general, how many resources one uses to sustain themselves.
Calculating a Footprint
Ecological footprints can be determined for an individual, community, town, region, country, and planet Earth. There is a “cost” to produce goods and provide services.
Examples of questions or criteria that are used to calculate an include the following:
1) How do you get around? Walking, driving, etc.
2) How often do you fly in an airplane? Are your flights international?
3) How do you eat (Do you eat meat? Are you a vegetarian?)? Where do you get your food from?
4) How often do you buy new clothes and other things? Is your answer different regarding secondhand items?
5) Do you use (solar, wind, etc.) for heating your housing?
6) How long do you shower?
7) What temperature do you keep your housing at in the winter?
Image Courtesy of Pixabay
Individuals and Corporations
Some individuals or companies have a much bigger footprint or impact they will leave on the environment than others. We can compare and even calculate the impact a person has. Look at these two scenarios as examples: Person A. lives in an apartment, bikes to work and eat a vegetarian diet and Person B has a very large house, drives a large car a long way to work and eats a mostly red meat based diet. These two people would have a very different lasting impact on the world around them.
However, an individual's impact will be small compared to a corporation’s. Some very large corporations are responsible for massive amounts of , , , and water usage among other environmental impacts.
The is often used as a way to assess the of human activities. If the of a population is larger than the available ecological resources, then that population is living unsustainably and is overshooting its resource limits. This can lead to and a decline in the long-term well-being of the population.
🎥 Watch: AP Environmental Science - Sustainability
Key Terms to Review (7)
CO2 Production
: CO2 production refers to the release of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere through various human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which contributes to climate change.Deforestation
: Deforestation refers to the clearing, removal, or destruction of forests. It involves the permanent conversion of forested areas into non-forest land for various purposes such as agriculture, urbanization, or logging.Ecological Footprint
: An ecological footprint measures human demand on nature by calculating how much land area is required to sustain a particular population or individual's consumption patterns and waste production. It helps assess the impact of human activities on the environment.Environmental Degradation
: Environmental degradation refers to the deterioration of the environment through various human activities. It involves the depletion or destruction of natural resources, pollution, habitat loss, climate change, and other negative impacts on ecosystems.Plastic Pollution
: Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment that harms ecosystems and wildlife. It includes items like single-use plastics (e.g., bottles, bags) that do not easily biodegrade.Renewable energy
: Renewable energy refers to energy sources that can be replenished naturally within a human lifetime. These sources include solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass.Sustainability
: Sustainability refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves using resources in a way that preserves and protects them for long-term use.
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