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Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development. Your Ecological Footprint. Ecological Footprint. Your ecological footprint is an estimate of the area of land & ocean required to support your consumption of - food - your wastes - goods - housing - energy - services.

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Sustainable Development

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  1. Sustainable Development Your Ecological Footprint

  2. Ecological Footprint • Your ecological footprint is an estimate of the area of land & ocean required to support your consumption of - food - your wastes - goods - housing - energy - services

  3. Ecological Footprint • The Ecological footprint is expressed in global hectares (gha) or global acres (ga) • One Hectare = 2.47 acresOne Hectare = 10,000 meters² One Acre = 4,050 meters²

  4. Ecological Footprint • The ecological footprint can be broken down into 4 consumption categories • Carbon – home energy use & transportation • Food • Housing • Goods & Services

  5. Average Per Capita Ecological Footprint (in gha)

  6. Average Per Capita Ecological Footprint (in gha)

  7. Average Per Capita Ecological Footprint (in gha) There are only 15.71 global hectares available per person on a renewal basis Problem!!!!

  8. Average Per Capita Ecological Footprint (in gha) • Thus, to sustain present levels of consumption, we need approximately 1.50 Earths!!! Working : 15.71gha = 1 world 23.47gha = ?

  9. What affects your Ecological Footprint? • Your annual household income • The position in which your country is situation in the world (hot/cold) • Size of your home (land use) • Energy sources used in homes (electricity, natural gas, propane, liquefied petroleum, gas, heating oil, wood, biomass

  10. What affects your Ecological Footprint? • Mode of transportation (automobiles, bus, rail, air travel) • Location of your home (inner city, older suburb, newer suburb, rural) • Your diet (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, carnivore, top of the food chain) • How much you normally eat (1/2/3 meals a day + snacks)

  11. What affects your Ecological Footprint? • Whether you grow your own crops/animals • How you spend your income • How much waste your produce

  12. The Ecological Footprint : A video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-19159756661360505&hl=en

  13. Class Activity • On the given worksheet, you have the average ecological footprint (in global hectares / gha) of several countries.

  14. Class Activity Task • Find out how many worlds are needed if everyone in the world lived according to the lifestyle of that particular country (consider one country at a time). (1 decimal place) • Express your answer as a percentage of the ecological footprint that is available per person.

  15. How one can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Walk, bike, or take public transit whenever possible. • Avoid allowing your car to idle. If you’ll be waiting for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine (except in traffic). And don’t take the drive-through—park the car and walk inside instead. • Have your vehicle serviced regularly to keep the emission control systems operating at peak efficiency. Check your car's air filter monthly, and keep the tires adequately inflated to maximize gas mileage.

  16. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Add energy-saving features to your home • Install compact fluorescent bulbs in all your home light fixtures—but remember, compact fluorescents contain mercury, so look for low-mercury models and be sure to dispose of old bulbs safely through your local hazardous waste program. • Weatherproof your home. Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated, and consider double-pane windows. Eliminate drafts with caulking, weather strips, and storm windows and doors.

  17. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Insulate your water heater. Even better, switch to a tankless water heater, so your water will be heated only as you use it. • Choose energy efficient appliances.

  18. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Adopt energy-saving habits • Keep thermostat relatively low in winter and ease up on the air conditioning in summer. Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended to keep the A/C operating at peak efficiency. • Unplug your electronics when not in use. To make it easier, use a power strip. Even when turned off, items like your television, computer, and cellphone charger still sip power.

  19. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Dry your clothes outside whenever possible. • Make minimal use of power equipment when landscaping. • Defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly. • Choose green electricity. Many utilities give you the option to purchase electricity generated by wind and solar power for a small rate surcharge.

  20. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Reduce your Food Footprint • Eat more local, organic, in-season foods. • Plant a garden—it doesn’t get more local than that. • Shop at your local farmer’s market or natural foods store. Look for local, in-season foods that haven’t traveled long distances to reach you.

  21. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Choose foods with less packaging to reduce waste. • Eat lower on the food chain—going meatless for just one meal a week can make a difference. Globally, it has been estimated that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with meat consumption.

  22. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Reduce your Housing Footprint Choose sustainable building materials, furnishings, and cleaning products. • Explore green design features for your building, like passive solar heating, a rainwater catchment or grey water recycling system, and recycled materials.

  23. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Choose efficient appliances, including low flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets. • Choose furnishings that are second-hand, recycled, or sustainable produced. • Plant drought tolerant plants in your garden and yard. • Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products.

  24. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Adopt water-saving habits • Take shorter, less frequent showers—this not only saves water, but the energy necessary to heat it. • Don’t use the garbage disposal. Compost instead. • Run the dishwasher and the laundry machine only when full.

  25. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? • Wash cars rarely, or better yet, take them to a carwash. Commercial carwashes use less water per wash than home washers, and they are also required to drain used water into the sewage system, rather than storm drains, which protects aquatic life. • Avoid hosing down or power-washing your deck, walkways, or driveway. • Regularly look for and fix leaks.

  26. How can one reduce the Ecological Footprint? Reduce your Goods and Services Footprint • Buy less! Replace items only when you really need to. • Recycle all your paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic. Don’t forget electronics! • Compost food waste for the garden. Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases (a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill.

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