Sustainability Question
ESSP 200 – Sustainability Science Assignment #2 Human Footprint Due Wednesday, February 21st In class, we discussed about the Human Footprint, which is a measure of the amount of biological capacity (i.e. resources available) versus the amount of human resource use. In this assignment, you will gain experience in reading and interpreting maps and graphs of the human footprint for various locations around the world. You are asked to analyze the graphs and maps to answer questions as to what the graphs represent, what map patterns and features tell you about the data, and how do the maps and graphs compare between countries. This assignment falls within the objectives of the Essential Studies goals of Quantitative Reasoning within the Math, Science, and Technology Breadth of Knowledge. Instructions First, open the Human Footprint website by clicking on the link: http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/ When the website opens, click the “Enter” button in the middle of the screen. Next, you will see a map of the world with various colors for each country. At the bottom of the map is a set of categories (e.g. Ecological Deficit/Reserve, Total Ecological Footprint, etc.) for which you can click on and explore with the map. If you click on the individual countries, you will see graphs of the Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint over time. As well, you will see various other information regarding the country and it’s Biocapacity. Using the maps and graphs, answer the questions below. Assignment Questions 1. The first map you see is a map of the Ecological Deficit/Reserve. Describe the map and explain what the variation in colors represent. (Hint: the legend can be found below). Do you notice a geographical pattern of countries with Ecological Deficits versus Ecological Reserves? If so, describe the pattern and produce a reasoned answer as to why this pattern might exist (Hint: think about the physical landscape of the countries, as well as their economic status). 2. Click on the Total Biocapacity category; look at both the map and the table of Biocapacity below the map. Generally, which parts of the world have the least amount of Biocapacity? Why do you think this is the case? (Hint: look at the definition of Biocapacity in the legend and think about what the physical landscape and human landscape might be like in these locations; you might have to do a little more research on these areas to answer this question). Which countries have the greatest amount of Biocapacity and why might this be? 3. Compare the Total Biocapacity of the United States and Australia (Hint: look at the table below the map). Think about the similarities and differences of these two countries. These two countries are comparable in size, however their Total Biocapacities are quite different. Why might this be? 4. Next, click on the Total Ecological Footprint category and look at the map. What are the top three countries in terms of total ecological footprint? Why might these three countries have the highest Total Ecological Footprint? Compare the United States and Australia. What is the difference in Total Ecological Footprint between these two countries? Why might these values be significantly different? 5. Click on China to look at the graph of the Ecological Footprint Per Person. Compare the Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint over time on the graph. Over what time period does it appear that China was more or less in equilibrium (i.e. sustainable) in its resource use? As time progresses, what is the graph indicating for the change in resource use over time? Why might this be the case? 6. Now, click on the Ecological Footprint Per Person category and look at the map and table below. What are the top five countries in terms of ecological footprint per person? What do you notice about these top five countries in terms of physical size, population, economic conditions, and other physical characteristics (e.g. location, landscape, etc.), and how do you think these characteristics play a role in the sustainable (or unsustainable) actions of these countries? 7. Click on the graphs for the United States and Canada (Hint: you can look at them only one at a time so you will need to remember or write down the information). How do the Ecological Footprints per Person of the two countries compare over time? How do the Biocapacities of the two countries compare over time? (Hint: pay attention to the Y-axis). 8. Finally, based on the graphs of the United States and Canada, look at the value on the graph under the title “Biocapacity Reserve (+)/Deficit(-)”. Which country has a positive Biocapacity (Biocapacity Reserve), and which country has a negative Biocapacity (Biocapacity Deficit)? Keeping the Biocapacity in mind, compare the Ecological Footprint Per Person for the two countries. How is it that a country with a negative Biocapacity has the same Ecological Footprint Per Person as the country with a positive Biocapacity? For the country with the positive Biocapacity, what might be causing the higher Ecological Footprint per Person? Based on this graph, do you think this country’s actions are sustainable or not?
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