Ecological Footprint Assignment (20 pts)

This assignment asks you to calculate your own ecological footprint using this website: www.myfootprint.org. Answer the following questions. Please number your answers to make it easier for me to grade your report (2 pts).  Include printouts of the Quiz Results (see below).

1. Define the terms “ecological footprint” and “carbon footprint”.  How are the two types of footprints different?  (4 pts)
2. How does the number of earths needed to support everyone at your level of resource consumption compare to the average of 6 earths for the general US population?  (2 pts)
3. Look at the graph of your footprint by consumption category. Which category contributes most to your footprint? Transportation (carbon)? Housing? Food? Goods and services?  Why is its contribution so large?  (2 pts)
4. On average, food is 25% of the ecological footprint. Explain why food makes such a big impact. What happens to food as it travels from the farm to your fork? What can you do to reduce the contribution food makes to your footprint?  (4 pts)
5. Describe 2 changes you can make to reduce your ecological footprint.  (2 pts)

Include the following printouts of the Quiz Results in your report:  (4 pts)

• The number of earths needed to support everyone at your level of consumption

• Footprint by consumption category

Your report should be 1 page long (not including the Quiz Results) and is worth 20 points. It is due on (or even before) the date given on the Class Schedule. Please write your name and lab day (T or R) on your report.  This is an individual (not a group) assignment.   

Please hand in a print out; I will not accept this assignment as an email attachment.