Geography 178: Conservation of the Environment
EXERCISE #1: MY ECOFOOTPRINT
In this exercise you will be looking at your “EcoFootprint” or, in a nutshell, what is your environmental impact on the Earth based on how you live your life and where you live?
A. TAKE THE QUIZ
Step 1: Go to go to the EcoFootprint Calculator lower on the screen.
Step 2:Click the circle designated as “USA” in the center of the United States.
Step 3:Now click the BEGIN> button followed by the get started button
Step 4: Set up your avatar however you like and Click OK.
Step 5: Click the ENTER DETAILED INFORMATIONbutton on EVERY screen. Then, chooseeither your current living situation or your parent's home to answer all of the questions—either one is fine, just make sure you stick with one.
Step 6:WRITE DOWN YOUR SELECTIONS!Such as how many miles you drive every week, etc.
Step 7:Once you have completed your quiz, using the information on the final page of the quiz, write down your results and use this data to answer the questions on this assignment.To calculate your Ecological Footprint, move your mouse over the pie chart then take the percentage for each category (Food, Shelter, etc.) and multiply it by the number of Global Acres you need to maintain your lifestyle. Enter the number of acres for each category in the blanks provided.
B. CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR FOOTPRINT BY 50%?
Now, click the edit your footprint button. Then click various images in the background (e.g. the grocery store, the telephone poles, the car, etc.) to figure out what you would have to do to cut your ecological footprint in half. Once you have managed to cut your ecofootprint in half explain what combination of answers you changed to successfully achieve a 50% reduction of your ecological footprint.
C. TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN: EUROPE
Click the back button on your browser and take the quiz again. This timechange your location to Switzerlandusing the same living conditions you used in Part Aand answer the related questions.
D. TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN: PERU
Click the back button on your browser and take the quiz again. This timechange your location to Peruusing the same living conditions you used to answer the questionnaire in Part Aand answer the related questions.
PART E: see below
Name: ______Page 2
Part A: Current SituationPart B:Reduced by 50%
How many earths are neededHow many earths are needed
to support yourlifestyle?______earthsto support your lifestyle?______earths
How many global acres?______acresHow many global acres?______acres
To calculate your ecological footprint, move your mouse over the pie chart in the upper right-hand corner and multiply the decimal of the percentage (e.g. 48% = .48) by the number of global acres above. Perform this same operation for Part C, as well.
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT:ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT:
What is your food footprint?______acresWhat is your food footprint?______acres
What is your mobility footprint?______acresWhat is your mobility footprint?______acres
What is your shelter footprint?______acresWhat is your shelter footprint?______acres
What is your goods / service footprint?______acresWhat is your goods / service footprint?______acres
What is your total footprint?______acresWhat is your total footprint?______acres
A.1and B.1.:Were you able to reduce your footprint by 50%? What combination of answers did you change to do this (be specific)?Did you mostly reduce “conveniences” or “necessities?” Is this realistic in our society?Also, briefly discuss what would happen if every person on Earth consumed at your rate of consumption. Finally, do you feel it is or is not ethical to consume at such a globally disproportionate rate compared to others in the world? Why or why not?
Page 3
NOTE: You will need to use the following formula to convert from hectares to acres. 1 hectare = 2.5 acres (multiply hectares by 2.5 to find the acreage)
Part C:Europe: SwiTZERLAND
How many earths are needed to support yourlifestyle?______earths
How many global acres?______acres
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT:
What is your food footprint?______acres
What is your mobility footprint?______acres
What is your shelter footprint?______acres
What is your goods / service footprint?______acres
What is your total footprint?______acres
C.1.: What is your ecological footprint this time? Discuss why your ecological footprint changed or remained the same now that youlive in another country.
Part D:PERU
How many earths are needed to support yourlifestyle?______earths
How many global acres?______acres
D.1.: What is your ecological footprint this time? Discuss why your ecological footprint changedbecause you are living in a periphery country.
Page 4
PART E
E.1.:Discuss the feasibility of making the changes in your lifestyle necessary to reduce your ecological footprint by 50%. Why should or shouldn’t you do it?Could you do it?How difficult would it be? How would you do it?
E.2.:Discuss any unexpected results (“Nothing unexpected” is not an acceptable response).
E.3.:Identify three (3) questions or scoring categories in the EcoFootprint Calculator that you would change and why you would change them. Thenexplain how each of these changes might affect the final score.