5.11 Ecological Footprint, 5.12 Intro to Sustainability

Ecological footprint

Measure of how much a person/group consumes, expressed in area of land

Factors (land required for) of Ecological footprint

Food production, raw materials (wood, metal, plastic), housing, electricity production (coal, nat. Gas, solar, wind, etc.) disposing waste produced (landfill space)

Ecological footprint measurement

Measure in land (that - global hectare) which is a biologically productive hectare (2.47 acres)

Carbon footprint

Measure d in tones of CO2 producer per year - all CO2 released from an individual/ group (material goods,food production, energy use (gasoline, heat, electricity)

Increase footprint

Affluence (wealth) increases carbon and ecological footprint (larger houses, more travel (gas), more resources needed for material goods (cars)), meat consumption (more land,water, energy), fossil fuel usage (heating, electricity, travel, plastic

Decrease footprint

Renewable energy use (wind, solar, hydroelectric), public transportation (less gas), plant based diet, less consumption, less travel, less energy use

Sustainability

Consuming a resource or using a space in a way that does not deplete or degrade it for future generations

Maximum sustainable yield

The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use, roughly ½ carry capacity. Maximizes yield and regeneration rate of population

En. Indications of sustainability

Factors that help us determine the health of the env. And guide us towards sustainable use of earth’s resources

Biodiversity

Genetic, species, and ecosystem, declining biodiversity can indicate pollution habitat destruction and climate change, globa extinction rate = strong env. Indiviator since species extinction decreases species richness of earth

Food productio

Indicates ability of earth’s soil, water, and climate to supp. Ag., major threats to food prod. = climate change, soil degradation, groundwater depletion, inc. meat consumption = further strain on food production., global grain production per capita has leveled off and sown signs of decline recently

Atmospheric temp and CO2

Life on earth depends on very narrow temp. Range, CO2 is a GHG, deforestation and combustion increase atm. CO2, inc. CO2 = unsustainable land

Human population and resource depletion

Human pop. Inc = resource depletion inc., resources are harvested unsustainable from nat. Ecosystems and degrade ecosystem health