PART 1
The Ecological Footprint compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against what Earth can renew.
What is your impact?
Calculate your Ecological Footprint at https://www.footprintcalculator.org/ Links to an external site.and post your results here.
Is it larger or smaller than you thought it would be, according to this estimate?
Why do you think this is so?
PART 2
Think about the Poor, the Affluent (rich) and Environmental Harm.
We just learned that:
The United States has only 4.3% of the world’s population yet it’s responsible for 23% of the global economic footprint.
The average American consumes about 100 times the amount consumed by the average person in the world’s poorest countries.
Some see the rapid population growth in less developed countries (and the increase in environmental degradation that follows) as the primary cause of our environmental problems. While, others say that the high rate of resource use per person in more developed countries like ours is a more important cause/factor.
Please respond to the following:
At this moment, what factor do you think is more important? Why?
At this moment, what aspect of these two core causes can we control? Why?