Ecological Footprint

Earth Day Celebrated every April 22 since 1970 Launched as an environmental awareness event in the United States First International Earth Day in 1990 with 141 countries

Getting Rid of Waste Landfills Incineration Recycling Composting Waste-to-Energy facilities

Landfills Green Lane Landfill near London, Ontario receives all of the garbage from Toronto Green Lane could reach its capacity by On April 2, 2007 the City of Toronto officially acquired the Green Lane Landfill and by the end of 2010 stopped sending its garbage to a Michigan landfill.

Incineration : Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal, due to issues such as emission of gaseous pollutants. Incineration is common in countries such as Japan where land is more scarce, as these facilities generally do not require as much area as landfills.

NIMBY Acronym for “Not In My BackYard” The opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development because it is close to them, usually the residents believe that the developments are needed in society but should be further away. Examples: housing projects, homeless shelters, fracking, wind turbines, landfill sites, prisons, cannabis dispensaries

Ecological Footprint

Ecological Footprint: definition A measure of human impact on the Earth. The footprint equals the Earth’s cost to sustain one person. It’s measured in global hectares It represents the land area needed to provide resources and absorb waste + greenhouse gases produced by an individual

History –Canadian Birthplace It’s a Canadian idea The concept of ecological footprint was developed by William Rees in 1992 for his PhD dissertation at the University of British Columbia

Map of Countries by Ecological Footprint Ecological footprint Global hectares per capita No data

What does a hectare (ha) look like? LARGER than a Football field

Global Hectare (gha) Used to measure ecological footprint "Global hectare per person" refers to the amount of biologically productive land and water available per person on the planet.  Examples of biologically productive areas include cropland, forests, and fishing grounds; they do not include deserts, glaciers, and the open ocean

Biocapacity The amount of resources the ecosystems can supply each year It is declining each year as population increases In 2005 the world’s population required the resources of 2.7 gha, but the world’s biocapacity was only 2.1 gha per person So our footprint is bigger than our biocapacity – this is unsustainable

Global Biocapacity by country China’s footprint matches its global biocapacity. The footprints of India, Indonesia and Bangladesh are fully sustainable. Australia and Canada both have footprints over 7 gha: their populations require more than 3 times their fair share of the world’s biocapacity. USA’s footprint is surpassed only by the United Arab Emirates.

Carbon has been the dominant component of humanity’s Ecological Footprint for more than half a century. In 1961, carbon was 36% of our total Footprint but by 2010 it comprised 53%.

Human Development Index Ecological Footprint (hectares per capita)

Earth Overshoot Day The day when humanity begins living beyond its ecological means: In 2011: September 27 In 2013: August 20 In 2015: August 13 In 2016: August 8 We now require the equivalent of 1.6 planets to support our lifestyles. We now use a year’s worth of capacity in less than 9 months.

Carbon Footprint The land area needed to absorb the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) that people contribute to the atmosphere each year A single international flight can emit as much GHG per passenger as a year of driving.

Greenhouse Gases (GHG) : Any gas in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Without any greenhouse gases, the average temperature of Earth's surface would be about −18 °C, rather than present average of 15 °C

Causes of GHGs Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) and is released as carbon dioxide (CO2) when they are burnt. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (i.e. emissions produced by human activities) come from:  Combustion of fossil fuels  Deforestation  Soil erosion  Animal agriculture

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Many CFCs have been widely used as refrigerants, aerosols, and solvents. They are a greenhouse gas They also contribute to ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere The manufacture of such compounds has been phased out under the Montreal Protocol

Ways to Offset C02 Emissions 1. Carbon Tax 2. Carbon Offset Credits 3. Carbon Credit Trading 4. Labelling of products based on their carbon footprint

Carbon Tax A tax based on greenhouse gas emissions generated from burning fuels One of the most powerful incentives that governments have to encourage companies and households to pollute less by investing in cleaner technologies and adopting greener practices This can be done by placing a surcharge on carbon- based fuels and other sources of pollution such as industrial processes. Canada has no federal carbon tax, but some provinces do

Sweden does it Sweden has had a carbon tax since 1991 The carbon tax has cut emissions by 20%, enabling the country to achieve its 2012 target under the Kyoto Protocol. Although some critics claim a carbon tax would damage the economy, Sweden's carbon tax is a hefty $140 per tonne of carbon pollution. Since the carbon tax was introduced, Sweden's economy has grown by more than 100%, and the country recently ranked 4 th in the world on economic competitiveness.

Carbon Neutral It means achieving zero carbon emissions by balancing the amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount offset (ex: planting trees), or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference.

Carbon Offset Credits Carbon offsets are a form of trade that funds projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions These let you pay to reduce the global GHG total instead of making radical or impossible reductions of your own. It is impossible to reduce our carbon emissions to zero, so the concept is to go carbon neutral Carbon offset credits can be purchased for projects such as:  Constructing renewable energy e.g. wind farms, solar installations  Switching to eco-friendly fuels  Using more efficient engines for transport e.g. bio-fuel public transport  Reforestation  Capturing landfill methane emissions

Carbon Trading

Bullfrog Power Once electricity is put on the grid, all the electrons are the same, and electrons from clean sources can’t be directed straight to your home. If you choose Bullfrog Power, for every kWh of electricity you purchase, a kWh from a pollution-free, renewable source is produced and put on the grid on your behalf.

Carbon Labelling UK Carbon Labelling Identifies how much CO2 is emitted by a product or service from its production to its final disposal.

Reducing Your Footprint Turn the lights off/ use natural sunlight Plug electronics e.g. tv, computer and printer into an energy saver bar Unplug when you are absent for a length of time. Install a programmable thermostat Wash clothes in cold water, then air dry Wash dishes & clothes with full loads only Take short showers (25-50 gallons of water are used during a 5 minute shower) Bike and walk more

Reducing Your Footprint Eat locally grown foods Drink tap water from reusable containers Drink from the cold water tap so you haven’t wasted energy heating it Eat less meat (cattle produce methane, a major greenhouse gas)

Reducing Your Footprint Share with your family and friends items such as tools, clothes and cars Go for products that have been pre-owned; support thrift shops Donate your old computer, clothes, sports equipment to a charity Buy products that have less packaging

Calculate your footprint N/page/calculators/