What is Your Ecological Footprint?
An Activity for Students and Parents
Purpose: For students and parents to see how their choices in life affect the world environment.
Materials: Access to the internet, textbook, and this handout.
Special Note: The handout is in two parts. You have the first part now; when you have
completed the first part, show your instructor and receive a copy of the second part.
Procedure:
1) Read the section about ecological footprints in your textbook; have your parents read the text. 2) Complete the attached survey. It will take some time to complete and you may have to do a little digging to get your answers. There are 20 questions.
3) Take one of the Ecological Footprints on the websites listed below.
I. Redefining Progress: My Footprint use number one, and then later, use another.
a. http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator
b. https://islandwood.org/footprint-calculator/
c. http://ecocamp.us/eco-footprint-calculator
d. http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
4) Try to print the final page if possible.
a. If you can’t print the last page, make sure you record how many global acres/ hectares you use and how many planet Earths would be used if everyone was like you.
5) Take more than one survey. This is a good way to compare your answers.
6) Complete the result section. Then complete the conclusion section.
7) Finally, when you have finished Part 1, THEN go on to finish Part 2.
Results:
1) Which websites did you complete the “quiz” on?
2) How many hectares did you use?
3) How many planet Earths would we need if everyone on earth is like you?
Conclusion:
1) What is a hectare?
2) Should you worry about how your footprint influences the Earth? Explain your answer.
3) What are some of the things you and your family can do to reduce your Ecological Footprint?
Look at survey Part 1 and make a list of changes you can make.
An Ecological Footprint Survey
Part 1
Please complete the survey as a family before getting online to take one of the three online quizzes regarding how much of earth’s area you and your family use. The amount of land that you use is based on a mathematical model that is only as accurate as the information you provide. There are other factors that may change your actual amount used but is not taken into consideration in these surveys. Not all questions will be used for all four websites.
Diet Habits
1) How often does your diet include meat?
a. Never
b. Infrequently (a few times per week)
c. Occasionally (once a day)
d. Frequently (at least traces in every meal)
e. A large part of every meal.
2) How many kilo-calories (kcal) do you consume everyday? A 2800 kcal diet is approximately equivalent to: * eating cereal, toast, juice, and coffee for breakfast, * a sandwich, yogurt, fruit, and a beverage for lunch, * an afternoon snack, and * a dinner with main course, side, and beverage, and a snack or dessert in the evening.
a. Much less than average (2400 or less kcal per day)
b. Somewhat less than average (2400 to 2800 kcal per day)
c. Average (2800 – 3200 kcal per day)
d. Somewhat more than average (3200 – 3600 kcal per day)
e. Much more than average (3600 or more kcal per day)
3) How much of your purchased food is thrown out rather than eaten? We all of have good intentions of saving left-over food for eating later, but how much of this do we throw away?
a. None
b. About 5 percent is wasted
c. About 10 percent is wasted
d. About 1/4 (25 percent) is wasted
e. About 1/3 (33 percent) is wasted
f. About 1/2 (50 percent) is wasted
4) How much of the food that you buy is locally grown, unprocessed, and in-season?
Processed food includes canned, jarred and frozen sauces, vegetables, meats. Locally is considered within 200 miles. In Germany, we have a number of fruits, vegetables, and dairy and meat products grown locally.
a. None
b. About a 1/4
c. About 1/2
d. About 3/4
e. Most food purchases are locally grown, unprocessed, and in-season
Transportation
5) How much do you drive each year, on average?
a. 15,000 miles or more/year
b. 12,000 – 15,000 miles/year
c. 9,000 – 12,000 miles/year
d. 8,000 – 9,000 miles/year
e. 5,000 – 8,000 miles/year
f. 2,000 – 5,000 miles/year
g. 2,000 or less miles/year
6) On average, how often do you drive with someone else (either in your car or theirs)?
a. Almost never
b. About 10% of the time
c. About 25% of the time
d. About 50% of the time
e. About 75% of the time
f. Almost all of the time
7) How many miles per gallon does your car get?
a. More than 50 miles per gallon
b. 35 – 50 miles per gallon
c. 25 – 35 miles per gallon
d. 15 – 25 miles per gallon
e. fewer than 15 miles per gallon
8) On average, how many miles do you travel on public transportation (bus, rail, subway)
each week?
a. More than 200 miles per week
b. 100 – 200 miles per week
c. 25 – 100 miles per week
d. 15 – 25 miles per week
e. fewer than 15 miles per week
Travel
9) On holidays do you usually travel
a. Close to home or stay at home
b. A short distance away
c. A long flight away
10) How many hours/trips do you fly on an airplane in a year? Hint: one coast-to-coast roundtrip is approximately 10 hours; a flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles roundtrip is approximately 25 hours.
a. 400 hours/year
b. 100 hours/year
c. 50 hours/year
d. 25 hours/year
e. 10 hours/year
f. 5 hours/year
g. 2 hours/year
h. fewer than 2 hours/year
i. never fly
Housing
11) How many people live in your house? ____
12) How many square feet does your house have? ____
a. Square Feet: measure the approximate width and length of the inside of the house and multiple the two numbers. If you have two floors, double the amount.
13) What type of house do you live in?
a. Apartment
b. Free standing house, no adjoining walls.
c. Row house (2+ units with adjoining walls)
d. Green-design house
14) Does your house use “green” electricity? You have to choose this option with your power company and it usually cost more. Yes or No?
15) Do you use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs?
a. Always
b. Most of the time
c. Half of the time
d. Some of the time
e. Never
Household Waste
16) Do you recycle? Yes or No?
17) How much waste do you generate? In other words, how much trash goes to the landfill?
a. Less than average
b. Average
c. More than average
Other Questions
18) Age
19) Size of city/town you live in. Los Angeles is over 1,000,000
20) How much productive land should be set aside for saving species? Productive land would include land used for growing food, housing, and industry.
a. 0%
b. 12%
c. 25%
d. 40%
An Ecological Footprint
An Activity for Students and Parents
Part 2: Can You Change Your Ecological Footprint?
The Question: Can you reduce your Ecological Footprint by 5%, 10%, 25% or more? What steps can you take to reduce your ecological Footprint? Let’s look at several things that you can do that might change your Ecological Footprint. Complete the following survey and then retake
the same Ecological Footprint. You may have to refer to your original survey.
Purpose: For students and parents to see if they can make changes in their lives and change
their Ecological Footprint.
Materials: Access to the internet and the second part of the handout.
Procedure:
1) Complete the attached survey (Part 2).
2) Retake the one of the Ecological Footprint sites you used in Part 1 using the Part 2 survey. The sites are listed below:
a. http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator
b. https://islandwood.org/footprint-calculator/
c. http://ecocamp.us/eco-footprint-calculator
d. http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
3) Try to print (or cut and paste into your document) the final page, or take a snap shot (capture) of the final page.
a. If you can’t print the last page, make sure you record how many hectares you use and how many planet Earth’s would be used if everyone was like you.
4) Complete the result section. Then complete the conclusion section.
Results:
1) Which websites did you complete the “quiz” on?
2) How many hectares did you use this time?
3) How many planet Earths would we need if everyone on Earth is like you?
Conclusion:
1) What percentage in hectares did you save with your proposed modifications to your Ecological Footprint?
2) How will the changes you proposed in Part 2 influences the ecological effects on Earth?
3) What did you and your family learn from this activity?
4) How does your lifestyle affect the Earth?
An Ecological Footprint Survey
Part 2
The question numbers below do not correspond with the question numbers in the first survey. For some questions, use Part 1 to see your first answer to complete your second answer. Make sure you answer each question. You may need both surveys to complete the online quiz the second time.
Diet Habits
1) The average American Diet is based on 3 meals a day, 7 days a week for a total of 21 meals.
a. How many meals do you eat in a week? ____
b. How many meals include meat? ____
c. Percentage of meals that include meat? ____
d. Can you cut your meat back at least one level? See question #1 in the first survey.
By how much? _____
2) One of the biggest waste of resources is the amount of “left-overs” that are thrown away every year. Part of the problem is at times we cook to much, save them and intend to eat them but end up throwing them away. See your answer in the first survey and can you reduce the amount by one answer to lower the amount of waste. The best way to reduce “left-over” waste is to cook less, or make sure you use the “left-overs.” How much can you reduce your “left-overs” by? ______(in percentage)
3) We are fortunate living in Europe, because a lot of our fresh fruit and vegetables are grown locally. Can you change your eating habits to include more fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown locally? Look at your answer in the first survey and try to imagine buying more locally grown fruits and vegetables. How much can you buy locally? _____ (in ¼ ‘s)
Transportation
Answer these questions and then see how you might answer the questions in the first survey.
4) Is there a way to reduce the miles you drive in a year?
How many miles can you reduce your driving by? _____miles
5) Can you increase the amount of time you carpool? In percentage, what percent will you car pool? _____
6) When you purchase your next vehicle, can you purchase a car with increased miles per gallon? (This probably won’t help you on this survey, but is something to think about).
7) If you don’t use or use very little public transportation, can you change your driving patterns and use more public transportation? How many miles can you increase usage of public transportation by? _____ miles
Travel
Since travel either involves business or vacations, this may be an area that will be difficult to change and thus has not been included in the second part. Please use your answers from the first survey.
Housing
Questions #9 and 10 are combined on Part 1; they are separate here for determination purposes.
8) The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power offers “green” electricity. Check out the websites to learn more. How much more does “green” power cost per kWh? Are you willing to pay more for your electricity to help preserve the environment? Yes or No!
a. residential rates in Los Angeles
b. http://www.livescience.com/5114-true-costs-renewable-energy.html
c. http://www.good.is/posts/fit-for-solar-los-angeles-takes-another-step-toward-green-energy
9) Do you have older appliances that might be replaced soon? If so, can they be replaced with more energy efficient models? These appliances include refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, and dryer. Other items that need periodic replacement include heaters, air conditioners, and water heaters. Yes or No!
10) How many light bulbs in your house are energy efficient florescent bulbs?
a. Count all of the light fixtures in your house, include all fixed lights (built in) and move floor and desk lamps. Count = ______
b. Count how many currently have florescent bulbs. Count = ______
c. What percentage of fixtures currently have florescent light bulbs? ______
d. Some fixtures will be difficult to replace with florescent light bulbs because of existing technology. How many current incandescent light bulbs (traditional type) do you believe can be changed to florescent bulbs? ______
e. What total percentage of light bulbs will be florescent? ______
I ask that the student and parent respond to these questions separately; this will help revise this activity for future students.
Parent Response
Parents, please take a few minutes to complete the following questions on a separate piece of paper, your answers may be valuable in analyzing various outcomes.
How did you feel working with your student on this project?
Should this project be done again next year?
Do you have any suggestions to improve this project?
Include comments on the instructions, the two surveys and other questions found in this activity.