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Briefcase

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

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Globe Showing Europe Africa

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

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Herb

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

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Flexed Biceps

Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation

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Writing Hand

Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies

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Deciduous Tree

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

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Cloud

Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies

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Thermometer

Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

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Bar-Chart

Internal Assessment

<ul>
	<li>Definition: The ecological footprint represents how much land is needed to supply all resources and absorb all wastes of a particular population.</li>
	<li>Think of it as an environmental credit card statement, showing how much we &quot;charge&quot; the Earth.</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: Imagine if every time you bought food, clothes, or used electricity, you took up a tiny piece of land. By the end of the month, you could see just how much land you &quot;used&quot; based on your choices!

<ul>
	<li>It&#39;s the inverse of carrying capacity.</li>
	<li>While carrying capacity looks at how many people an area can support, ecological footprint looks at how much land is needed to support those people.</li>
</ul>

Fun Fact: If everyone lived like an average American, we&#39;d need 5 Earths to sustain us!

<ul>
	<li>Measured in global hectares (gha).</li>
	<li>You might see the total footprint for an area or a per-person footprint.</li>
</ul>

Example: Country A might have a footprint of 1 million gha, but each citizen only uses 2 gha.

<ul>
	<li>Resources Land: Land for food, agriculture, housing, urbanization, industry, water supply. 
	Real-world Example: Imagine a pizza slice 🍕. The size of the slice represents how much land we need to grow the wheat, produce cheese, rear the chicken, etc.</li>
	<li>Waste Land: Land for absorbing our waste, like forests that suck up our CO2 or spaces for landfills. 
	Real-world Example: Got trash? Every candy wrapper or soda can you toss needs someplace to go. The more you throw, the bigger the trash pile &ndash; and that&#39;s a part of your footprint.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>📸 Snapshot of Sustainability: Just like a selfie captures a moment, footprints capture how sustainable our lifestyle is.</li>
	<li>🔍 Measure Impact: Governments or people can see their environmental &quot;footprint&quot; and decide where to make eco-friendlier choices. 
	For instance: A city might discover they&#39;re using too much water and decide to promote rainwater harvesting.</li>
	<li>📢 Raising Awareness: An excellent way to get people thinking and talking about Mother Earth.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Not Comprehensive: Doesn&#39;t capture all the environmental impacts. It&#39;s like seeing only one part of a movie.</li>
	<li>Simplification: Remember, it&#39;s just a model! Models aren&#39;t perfect, just like that model volcano you made in science class.</li>
	<li>Approximation: The numbers are estimates. So, there&#39;s wiggle room in the exactness, a bit like guessing the number of candies in a jar.</li>
</ul>

In a Nutshell: Ecological footprints give us a fun, visual way to see our impact on the Earth. They&#39;re not perfect, but they&#39;re a start! Remember, every step (or footprint) counts when it comes to saving our planet. 🌍❤️

Eco-Footprints: Measure & Minimize!

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Standard Level

Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

Eco-Footprints: Measure & Minimize!

Table of content

What is an ecological footprint

Connection to carrying capacity

Measuring units

Unlock the Full Content!

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

Eco-Footprints: Measure & Minimize!

Table of content

What is an ecological footprint

Connection to carrying capacity

Measuring units

Unlock the Full Content!