Ecological Footprint & Sustainability Geography of Canada

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not every man's greed” - Mahatma Gandhi

Nature provides us with many resources Which of these resources do you think we absolutely have to have in order to live ?

Human’s cannot live without: Oxygen Fresh Water Food Proper Temperature Atmosphere

What is a Natural Resource? Anything found in nature that can be used by people. Can you think of any examples?

Renewable Resources Resources that can replace themselves even after they have been used These resources can renew themselves in a short period of time Examples Farm products, Forests, Fish, Wild Animals hunted for food, Wild plants, Soil

Non Renewable Resources Resources that are gone once they have been used These resources can only be created under certain conditions; usually over a long time (thousands of years) Examples Minerals (copper, iron, aluminum), Non – Metallic Minerals (Diamonds, Sand, Gravel) Fossil Fuels (coal, oil and natural gas)

Flow Resources Resources that are replaced naturally whether or not humans use them These resources exist because of natural systems and natural processes. Examples Running water, wind, sunlight, ocean currents

It’s measured in global hectares. Ecological Footprint Ecological Footprints are 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 and greenhouse gases produced by an individual.

Footprint by Consumption Category

Footprint by Biome Impact The ecological footprint measures your impact on 4 Ecosystems:

Why is Canada’s average footprint Ecological Footprint World Average  2.2 hectares Biggest Footprint – United States  9.6 hectares Smallest Footprint – Bangladesh  0.5 hectares Average Canadian Footprint  8.6 hectares Canada has the 3rd highest footprint in the world! Why is Canada’s average footprint so big?

Ecological Footprint We require ….. 0.2 hectares of land for water (to drink & provide seafood) 0.4 hectares of land for home and roads and factories that make the material things we crave 1.6 hectares of land for farmland to grow the food we eat 0.3 hectares of land for grazing land for meat and dairy 1.4 hectares of land for timber wood and paper products 4.7 hectares of land needed to absorb the greenhouse gases produced by driving around town, through the running of air conditioners and the import of exotic goods and foods = 8.6 hectares

Ecological Impact of Nations The map on the following slide shows various countries and regions of the world proportionate to their production and consumption of commercially traded fuels. All figures are in million metric tons of oil equivalent.

Ecological Impact of Nations

Patterns of Consumption

Carrying Capacity What is Carrying Capacity? Carrying Capacity  The number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, without ruining the natural, social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations.

Carrying Capacity There are only 15.71 global hectares available per person on a renewable basis. This means we are overshooting the Earth's capacity by nearly 50%. To sustain present levels of consumption, we would need:

Brainstorm 5 things you can do to become an Environmental Steward!!! What is Stewardship? The responsibility we all have to the environment and resources that has been left to us by our ancestors. We are all stewards to our planet. Brainstorm 5 things you can do to become an Environmental Steward!!!

What is Sustainability? The ability to provide for the needs of the world's current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves.

Stewardship vs. Sustainability If we are not all following our role as stewards in the global village, then we will not have a sustainable environment for our future children. “We do not inherit the earth from our grandparents, we borrow it from our children.” - What Does that Mean?

Sustainability We must all do our part to keep our consumption of resources to a minimum ad the environment around clean. Are you doing your part??