My Ecological Footprint By: Monica C.
After learning about carrying capacity and overshoot, it got me thinking about living more sustainably.
After doing some research, I found that you can actually compute your usage, seeing just how many resources you are consuming, and comparing it to the average consumer. If you are interested in doing this, you can visit http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
After doing this exercise, I found that:
After doing some research, I found that you can actually compute your usage, seeing just how many resources you are consuming, and comparing it to the average consumer. If you are interested in doing this, you can visit http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
After doing this exercise, I found that:
- Using resources at the rate that I do, It would take 4.1 planet earths to support me.
- My ecological footprint is 18.1 global acres, or 7.3 global hectares
- My resource usage breaks down as: 49% services, 13% food, 14% goods, 9% transportation, and 15% housing
Ecological Footprint is “A measure of how much area of biologically productive land and water an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management practices. The Ecological Footprint is usually measured in global hectares. Because trade is global, an individual or country's Footprint includes land or sea from all over the world. Ecological Footprint is often referred to in short form as Footprint.”
This shows just how many resources it takes to support each human on earth, based on his or her usage of resources.
This shows just how many resources it takes to support each human on earth, based on his or her usage of resources.
Biocapacity is “The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorb waste materials generated by humans, using current management schemes and extraction technologies. “Useful biological materials” are defined as those demanded by the human economy. Hence what is considered “useful” can change from year to year (e.g. use of corn (maize) stover for cellulosic ethanol production would result in corn stover becoming a useful material, and thus increase the biocapacity of maize cropland). The biocapacity of an area is calculated by multiplying the actual physical area by the yield factor and the appropriate equivalence factor. Biocapacity is usually expressed in global hectares.”
This describes how much an ecosystem can handle, based on current usage by humans.
This describes how much an ecosystem can handle, based on current usage by humans.
Global Overshoot occurs when humanity's demand on nature exceeds the biosphere's supply, or regenerative capacity. Such overshoot leads to a depletion of Earth's life supporting natural capital and a build up of waste. At the global level, ecological deficit and overshoot are the same, since there is no net-import of resources to the planet. Local overshoot occurs when a local ecosystem is exploited more rapidly than it can renew itself.” This occurs when we use the earth’s resources faster than it can produce/regenerate them.
If everyone lived like me, the maximum people who could be supported by Earth forever is 1.71 billion people. The world has over 7 billion people currently.
If everyone lived like me, the maximum people who could be supported by Earth forever is 1.71 billion people. The world has over 7 billion people currently.
5 major consequences of overshooting Earth's biocapacity:
1. Water becomes minimal
2. Air quality becomes poor
3. Trash and debris take over land
4. Species become extinct
5. Land becomes crowded
1. Water becomes minimal
2. Air quality becomes poor
3. Trash and debris take over land
4. Species become extinct
5. Land becomes crowded
