In class on 12/12 we will be discussing what it means to be sustainable as well as what levels and scales we need to act to achieve sustainability: individual, local, global. You will then complete an ecological footprint analysis and vary the parameters to test the difference you could make to reduce individual carbon footprints.
Ecological Footprint Analysis
footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/gfn/page/calculators/
1. Calculate your carbon footprint and how many planets and acres are needed to sustain a lifestyle similar to yours (use the detailed parameters).
2. Pick three parameters to maximize (e.g. diet, transportation, energy) and determine how that changes the footprint. Make a bar graph that shows how many planets OR acres you need based on the parameter maximized (also include your original calculation).
(NOTES: Can measure transport distance with Google maps; NYC gets 11% of energy from renewables)
Discussion QUESTIONS to answer in you blog post:
1. How does your original footprint compare to the country average (US per capita is 5 planets and 17 acres)?
2. What changes could you make and what level would it make a difference, it any? Include your bar graph.
3. What do you think, overall, we need to do as a society, as a world, to really make a more sustainable society?
