3. WHAT IS YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT?

Students take the Ecological Footprint Survey (for the first time; they will do it twice).Their estimates do not yet have an empirical basis. For homework they will share the same survey with their parents (print version).

Questions to investigate in the Ecological Footprint include:

1. How much of the world resources do you consume?

2. What impact does your style of consumption have on the world? What if everyone was like you?

3. What are the differences around the world in the amounts people consume?

You might encourage the class to work through the Ecological Footprint together, holding a classwide discussion after each segment. Some of the items make more sense for adults, and you might need to help your students be more relaxed about making estimates. One class found it useful to go through the exercise a second time, this time aiming to come more closely to the world average.

Discuss what it means. This is not necessarily easy to understand, and not everyone is in agreement about the best way to calculate it. Is all land on earth the same?

Discuss the individual items. For example, why does the Footprint Calculator start with a question about the consumption of meat versus vegetables? Do they take up different amounts of land to produce?

Handheld work:

° The Footprint Calculator is being adapted to handhelds. Right now the computer version can be downloaded and used on a desktop or laptop computer from:
Ecological Footprint Calculator
See http://csf.concord.org/esf/Software_EFCManual.cfm for directions.

Resources:

Here is an ACTIVITY for elementary students based on the footprint. It is easily upgraded for older students.

Redefining Progress http://www.rprogress.org/programs/sustainability/ef/ - policy and tools to help the valuing of people and nature
An excellent general page on Footprint work

http://www.ecologicalfootprint.com/ Here is another footprint calculator. Note that they ask about available room for other species. You can reduce your impact by not giving other species any room...but would you be willing? How generous and empathic for other species are you?

Extensions:

How sustainable are our choices? Read http://www.ire.ubc.ca/ecoresearch/ecoftpr.html A Canadian report on the Ecological Footprint addressing development in the Lower Fraser Basin.

 

Return to Footprint Index