As the world's population and number of wealthy people increase, so does the consumption of resources.
Real-world example: Think of it like a buffet, more people in line and hungrier (wealthier) they are, the more food (resources) they're likely to pile onto their plates.
Problem: Many resources risk being used up. Just like the buffet, if everyone keeps piling their plates high, there'll be no shrimp left for late-comers! 😭
Ecological footprints 👣🌲
Coined by William Rees in 1992 and further developed by Mathis Wackernagel, an ecological footprint is the hypothetical area of land needed by a society, group or individual to fulfill their resource needs and assimilate all their wastes. It's like the 'land space' you'd need to live your life.
It's measured in global hectares (gha). Imagine the size of soccer fields needed to provide all your resources and absorb all your wastes!
A country with an ecological footprint 3.2 times its own geographical area consumes resources and assimilates its wastes on a scale that would need a land area 3.2 times larger than the country itself. It's like trying to stuff an elephant into a mini-fridge – not a great fit! 🐘❌🍏
Ecological footprints - monitoring tool & comparison model 📏🔎
Footprints allow for monitoring environmental impacts and comparisons between groups or individuals, like comparing a posh city dweller's lifestyle (HIC) to a rural farmer's (LIC).
It can highlight unsustainable lifestyles. Just like looking at footprints on a sandy beach, if the footprints are larger than the beach itself, something's not adding up!
Unsustainable living & Earth overshoot day 🌍⏰
If we continue consuming resources at the current rate, by 2030 we'll need the equivalent of two Earths. Uh-oh, last time we checked, we only had one Earth in stock!
The Global Footprint Network marks Earth Overshoot Day: the day we've used all the resources that it takes the planet to regenerate in a year. Imagine eating your entire year's chocolate stash by August. The rest of the year would be pretty bleak, right?
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Geography HL
Unit 3 - Global Resource Consumption & Security
Unlock The Secrets Of Your Ecological Footprint Why It Matters Now!
As the world's population and number of wealthy people increase, so does the consumption of resources.
Real-world example: Think of it like a buffet, more people in line and hungrier (wealthier) they are, the more food (resources) they're likely to pile onto their plates.
Problem: Many resources risk being used up. Just like the buffet, if everyone keeps piling their plates high, there'll be no shrimp left for late-comers! 😭
Ecological footprints 👣🌲
Coined by William Rees in 1992 and further developed by Mathis Wackernagel, an ecological footprint is the hypothetical area of land needed by a society, group or individual to fulfill their resource needs and assimilate all their wastes. It's like the 'land space' you'd need to live your life.
It's measured in global hectares (gha). Imagine the size of soccer fields needed to provide all your resources and absorb all your wastes!
A country with an ecological footprint 3.2 times its own geographical area consumes resources and assimilates its wastes on a scale that would need a land area 3.2 times larger than the country itself. It's like trying to stuff an elephant into a mini-fridge – not a great fit! 🐘❌🍏
Ecological footprints - monitoring tool & comparison model 📏🔎
Footprints allow for monitoring environmental impacts and comparisons between groups or individuals, like comparing a posh city dweller's lifestyle (HIC) to a rural farmer's (LIC).
It can highlight unsustainable lifestyles. Just like looking at footprints on a sandy beach, if the footprints are larger than the beach itself, something's not adding up!
Unsustainable living & Earth overshoot day 🌍⏰
If we continue consuming resources at the current rate, by 2030 we'll need the equivalent of two Earths. Uh-oh, last time we checked, we only had one Earth in stock!
The Global Footprint Network marks Earth Overshoot Day: the day we've used all the resources that it takes the planet to regenerate in a year. Imagine eating your entire year's chocolate stash by August. The rest of the year would be pretty bleak, right?
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Geography HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟