Ecological Footprint

3 MAIN POINTS Ecological Footprint is a convention for measuring appropriation of the planet’s resources The Ecological Footprint of North America is vastly larger than the rest of the world To understand why this is the case, you need to understand the history of America’s energy use, especially oil.

Bioproductive segments 67% Low-productivity Ocean 22% 4% Biologically Productive Ocean Bioproductive Segments 11% Deserts, Ice Caps and Barren Land 18% Biologically Productive Land

Personal planetoid = 1.8 hectares Global average availability of bioproductive Land + Sea = 4.5 acres/person

How much of the planet’s energy, water and ecology do each of us use? “Ecological Footprint” measures the amount of productive planet surface that people actually use to meet their needs and wants What sort of things would we need to account for?

Calculating Ecological Footprint Transportation Housing Food and water Heating and cooling Waste production All our needs and wants must be balanced against the planet’s available resources and ability to absorb wastes

A conservative estimate of YOUR footprint: 24 acres Personal planetoid = 1.8 hectares A conservative estimate of YOUR footprint: 24 acres

If everyone lived as you (and I) do, we would need several more Earths. Personal planetoid = 1.8 hectares

Remember: These values are PER CAPITA; There’s only 4.5 acres per person to go around.

What is it about us that makes our situation particularly unsustainable?

How many people here grew up in an apartment building? Quick poll… How many people here grew up in an apartment building? How many people walked here today? How many people get more than 40 mpg in their primary vehicle?

Components of USA Footprint

How did this happen?

Statistically, however, the coldest areas require the most energy. Energy use and climate zones Colder climates require more energy for heat and somewhat more for lighting and cooking. Hot and humid climates, on the other hand, require more energy for cooling and refrigeration. Statistically, however, the coldest areas require the most energy.

Small lifestyle changes make a big difference. Many of us tend to ignore the small things we can do to conserve energy because we don’t feel like we’re making a big difference. But small things add up. Energy efficient appliances use 2 to 10 times less energy to do the same job. Compact fluorescent bulbs use four times less energy and last eight times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Compact urban living is much less energy intensive. More about sprawl and climate change Spread-out suburbs require far more energy per person for public infrastructure, housing, and transportation. Compact urban living is much less energy intensive. In rural areas, greater self reliance on local resources so they have lower energy requirements.

My diet and my footprint A plant-based diet is significantly less land and energy intensive than a meat diet. Because meat production drives deforestation and requires high inputs of energy for processing and transportation, it also comes with a high carbon footprint price tag. Globally, it is estimated that up to 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with animal product consumption.

Food miles, packaging, and where I shop Two important variables affecting your food footprint are food miles (or miles to market) and the amount of processing and packaging. If your food comes from far away – such as out of season produce imported from across the world and buying foods with lots of packaging. Buying fresh local foods from farmers markets and other locally owned sources or natural foods markets reduces these impacts.

The growing importance of community gardens and local food Transitioning from global to local food systems is one of the most important challenges in the era of peak oil, climate change, and growing economic and political insecurity. One study estimates that home or community gardening can add $500 to $1200 worth of produce per year to a family's diet – a big difference for low-income families.

More on green buildings Green buildings significantly reduce energy demands. Passive solar heating, water efficient fixtures, recycled materials and other green design features can generate up to 30% in energy savings, reduce water use by 30 to 50% and save 50 to 90% in waste disposal costs.

The footprint of water consumption   Fresh water consumed in households requires energy for both delivery and treatment. It has been estimated that by installing water saving features and adopting water conservation habits, households can easily reduce their water footprint by 60% or more.

Why green cleaning products matter Products used to clean floors, carpets, bathrooms, and other building elements often contain harmful chemicals. Fortunately, biodegradable and non-toxic alternatives can significantly reduce or eliminate these impacts altogether while providing the same level of cleanliness.

Planned obsolescence our economic footprint The faster we buy new items, the faster we deplete resources. Unfortunately, today’s economy is designed to convince us to buy often and replace items that are in perfectly good working order. Planned obsolescence – the deliberate manufacturing of products to wear out quickly –To counter this, we can try to repair things as much as possible and only buy products that are designed to last.

Towards a zero-waste society Recycling our wastes has enormous environmental and economic benefits in the form of reduced landfill space, fewer demands for raw materials, less energy consumption, less air and water pollution, lower waste-disposal bills, and cheaper goods. Zero waste does not aim to simply manage waste, but eliminate its creation in the first place.

What do you notice about the next two pictures?

Milwaukee Metro Population: 1.5 million

Paris Metro Population: 11.5 million (Milwaukee + WI, MN, ND, SD)

The city of Paris has a bunch of people, but it can fit into a smaller space than that of Milwaukee.

This is what the people of Paris live in: Sustainable

This is what most Americans want to live in: Not Sustainable

Should we be worried about the future of oil and the current model of the American Dream? (You should be nodding your head yes!)

United States, 1973 Indonesia & Zimbabwe 2005

Where are we going to get our oil from next? Alaska

This could be an alternative!!! Beijing’s Linked Hybrid http://www.wallpaper.com/video/architecture/the-linked-hybrid-building-beijing/26401788001 http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?id=58