Ecological Footprint

The area of the Earth’s productive surface (land and sea) that it takes to

produce the goods and services necessary to support a person’s lifestyle.

What Do You Think?

• “There are enough resources to meet the needs of everyone on the planet.”• “The U.S. gives more to the world,

and therefore can take more from the world.”

Components of an Ecological Footprint:

• Oxygen – trees for absorbing carbon dioxide• Food – meat, dairy, fish, fruits and veggies• Water – drinking, cooking, washing• Fiber – clothes, wood, upholstery

Components of an Ecological Footprint:

• Infrastructure – highways, hospitals, water treatment facilities• Waste Disposal – garbage dumps,

landfills• Recreation – football fields, baseball fields,

soccer fields, golf courses• Energy – fuel for cars, heat for cooking

Instructions1. Create a diagram illustrating everything that

is associated with 1 component of your Ecological Footprint.

2. Brainstorm and map all of the resources, processes and impacts associated with the component.

3. Let’s practice…. Read Hamburger, Fries and a Cola –What Did it

Take to Produce This American Meal?

What Does it Take????What’s in a hamburger?What are the steps between the cow and the

burger?What resources are needed to produce,

process deliver, serve and dispose of the burger?

What impacts result from each of those processes and technologies?

Instructions4. Each group will illustrate one component of an Ecological Footprint from the list below (or another if approved by me!):

My favorite food (other than burgers!) How I traveled to school today My favorite object (electronic, sports

equipment, etc) My favorite piece of clothing

InstructionsBe creative…. Think of everything that is related to the object such as:

transportation of a productthe marketing of popular brand itemshealth issueswaste disposalmaterial composing the item and where the

material comes from

Instructions

On the back of your illustration, brainstorm and list 10 things that you (and your group) can do to personally reduce your Ecological Footprint

Instructions

• Complete the questions under #3 on the Watch Where You Step Instruction sheet.

• Work together as a group and put your answers on a separate sheet of paper (so I can read your answers!). Staple the answers to the instruction sheet.