Introduction:
The Ecological Footprint is a measure of the demands that human activities place on the biosphere. It measures the amount of productive area of land and sea that are necessary to provide for the resources a population consumes as well as to absorb the carbon emissions they create. At current rates of consumption, the human population has a footprint greater than what the planet can sustainably regenerate.
CHOOSE FIELD:
First, select the “Footprint and Population” graph from the drop-down menu.
1. Based on the data displayed in the graph, which nation has the greatest ecological footprint?
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2. How many times larger is the ecological footprint of China than that of the United States? (Hint: To determine this, divide the footprint of China by the footprint of the United States.)
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3. Now go to the “Total Population in Millions of People” graph. The population of China is _____ and the population of the United States is _____.
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4. How much greater is the population of China than the United States?
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5. Select the “Footprint and Population” graph again. Does the difference in population between China and the United States account for their difference in ecological footprint?
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6. To get a better understanding of resource use and the importance of individual lifestyle decisions, we can look at the per capita ecological footprint. Select the “Per Capita Ecological Footprint.” Which country has the greatest impact at the individual level?
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7. The average ecological footprint worldwide is 2.6 according to the Global Footprint Network. How many times greater is Australia’s footprint than the global average? (Hint: Divide the per capita ecological footprint for Australia by the global average.)
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8. How many times greater is the U.S. per capita footprint than the global average?
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9. It is estimated that our planet can sustainably regenerate an ecological footprint of 1.7 global hectares per person. How many times greater is the average footprint for people in the United States than what is considered sustainable?
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10. What conclusion can we draw about the sustainability of the United States?
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