Part 1: Calculate your Ecological Footprint
In the first part of this assignment, calculate your personal ecological footprint. There are a couple websites that you may wish to review to assist with this.
The Global Footprint Network will provide general information at www.footprintnetwork.org.
Describe the key points that comprise your footprint calculation. How large is your ecological footprint? How many Earths would be required to support everyone the planet if everyone had the same level of consumption as you? Reflect on what you learned by calculating your own ecological footprint.
Part 2: Manipulating Your Ecological Footprint
Using the same calculator, try to determine what changes you would have to make to your lifestyle in order to live within the Earth’s means (that is, to achieve an ecological footprint of 0.8? thereby leaving space for all other organisms to live on the planet as well).
Describe the key points that comprise your new footprint calculation. What key lifestyle changes would you have to make in order to live within the Earth’s ability to provide for your needs and consumption patterns? Could you achieve this goal? How? Should you try to achieve this goal?
Part 3: Reflecting on Ecological Footprint
Using the data you gathered in the first two parts of this assignment as well as course information and information about ecosystem services from the textbook, and any other information that you have researched, write a reflective paper that demonstrates your understanding of the concepts of ecological footprint and ecosystem services and how they relate to environmental citizenship.
This assignment relates to the following Course Learning Requirements:
CLR 2 – Relate the history of environmental trends to contemporary society and to future direction.
CLR 4 – Identify your day-to-day practices and their impact on the global ecosystem and, in turn, the global ecosystem’s reciprocal impact on you.
CLR 5 – Explain the concept of ecological footprint and identify ways in which personal environmental impact can be mitigated.
