APES
Unit 1
Sustainability and the Ecological Footprint
What is “sustainability?”
According to the Global Footprint Network (http://www.footprintnetwork.org), “Sustainability is a simple idea.
It is based on the recognition that when resources are consumed faster than they are produced or renewed, the
resource is depleted and eventually used up. In a sustainable world, society's demand on nature is in balance with
nature's capacity to meet that demand.”
The Network continues: “Humans are the most successful species on the planet. But we are using more
resources that the Earth can provide. We are in global ecological overshoot.
Today, humanity uses the equivalent of 1.3 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our
waste...Moderate UN scenarios suggest if current…trends continue by the mid 2030s we will need the equivalent of two
Earths to support us. And of course, we only have one.”
The Ecological Footprint (EF) is a tool devised to measure how much land and water a society requires to produce
the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes. As you will see, the ecological footprints of different nations vary
widely.
1. Use the hotlink on the Links page of the class web site to access the Global Footprint Network home page:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org. From the “FOOTPRINT BASICS” drop down menu, select “Footprint for Nations.”
Click on “2010 Data Tables” at the bottom of the page.
Answer the following questions based on the data provided in that table. (6 points)
NOTE: 1 U.S. acre = 0.405 hectare (ha); 1 hectare (ha) = 2.47 acres
a. Based on the world’s population of 6.671 billion, how many hectares are available per person
Total Biocapacity:
ha/person =
b. What is the World Total Ecological Footprint?
acres/person
ha/person =
c. What is the Total Ecological Footprint of the U.S.?
acres/person
ha/person =
d. Look up the footprints of some other developed nations:
 What is the Total Ecological Footprint of Canada?

What is the Total Ecological Footprint of Japan?

What is the Total Ecological Footprint of Australia?

Which European country has the highest footprint?
e. Look up the footprints of some less developed countries:
 What is the Total Ecological Footprint of Nigeria?
f.

What is the Total Ecological Footprint of Bangladesh?

What about China, the world’s most populous country?
What are the 3 countries with a higher footprint than the U.S.?
acres/person
ha/person
ha/person
ha/person
@
___ ha/person
ha/person
ha/person
ha/person
APES
Unit 1
List them:
g. Which country in the Americas has the lowest footprint?
@
ha/person
h. Name 3 countries in the world with a national footprint of 0.7 hectares/person or less.
I.
Which country has the lowest footprint?________________________@______________ha/person
2. In addition to national footprints, individuals can also assess their personal ecological footprints. (14 pts)
This Ecological Footprint Quiz calculates how your living habits relate to your use of the planet’s resources.
Use the hotlink on the Links page of the class web site to access the
Redefining Progress Ecological Footprint Quiz: http://www.myfootprint.org/en/
Click “Enter” to begin the quiz. When asked, choose “United States of America” for the country you live in
and “U.S.” for the measurement system you want to use. Complete the rest of the quiz.
a. Print out the results of your Ecological Footprint Quiz, and turn it in with this worksheet.
b. In the break down of your EF, what category – Carbon, Food, Housing and Goods/Services -represented your highest category?
c. What category was your lowest?
@
acres
@
acres
d. How many total global acres are required to support your lifestyle?
e. How did your EF compare to the U.S. average?
f.
If everyone lived like you, how many earths would we need?
g. Does your lifestyle* meet the definition of sustainability?
3. Based on what you have learned, answer and discuss each of the following: (5 points)
a. Does the United States meet the definition of sustainability?
_______________________________________
b. According to economist E.F. Schumacher in his book Small is Beautiful, “the problem passengers on spaceship
Earth are the first class passengers.” Does the evidence provided by the Global Footprint Network support his
observation?
c. Propose and discuss 2 actions the United States might take as a nation to reduce its ecological footprint.
APES
Unit 1