Ecological Footprint

What is an Ecological Footprint?

• Why learn about Ecological Footprints?

• It helps us know which activity causes the most, or least harm to the environment

Which is more harmful?

Definition

• Ecological Footprint:

• Our direct impact we have on the earth

• Measures a person’s impact by determining the amount of biologically productive land and water (in hectares) required to support that person and to dispose of their wastes.

Item Required to Support 1 Canadian

• Item• Cropland• Forest• Grazing Land• Fishing Grounds• CO2 (Fossil Fuels)• Fuelwood• Nuclear Energy• Hydroelectricity• Total

• Hectares• 1.09• 1.45• 0.39• 0.11• 2.70• 0.02• 0.51• 0.12• 6.45 (60,000 square

metres)

What does this mean?

• If all people in the world lived like us, we would need more than two earths.

• Compare these Nations Ecological Footprints:

• Canada – 7.8

• USA - 9.5

• India - 0.8

• World - 2.2

What about the future?

• As the developing world (China, India, etc) continues to industrialize, the world’s human wants (or ecological footprint) will exceed its needs

• What ways are useful to reduce our footprint? World, National and Local

1. What can the world do?

2. What can Canada do?

3. What can Burlington do?

4.What can you do?