Ecological Footprint Lab

1. Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint is an accounting tool for ecological resources. Categories of human consumption are
translated into areas of productive land required to provide resources and assimilate waste products. The
ecological footprint is a measure of our how sustainable our lifestyles are.
Part 1: Calculating Your Personal Footprint
First: go to http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator to calculate your carbon footprint
1. Draw the Emissions Comparison bar graph and label yours, with the US, and then
World.
2. Explain the differences between all three, to the best of your ability at this point.
Next: go to the following web page: http://myfootprint.org/en/
Take the quiz.
When finished record the following:
3. My ecological footprint:
a. State the number of planets required to sustain your lifestyle
b. State the number of acres required (your footprint) to sustain your lifestyle
c. Draw and color the bar graph. Write the footprint # above each bar.
d. Draw, color and label the pie chart for your biome impact.
4. Scroll down and click on Reduce Your Footprint. From each category select at least 1 or 2
things you would be willing to try to do, and to discuss with your family about doing,
to decrease your impact on the earth and its’ resources. What do you think their responses
will be?