Assignment: Calculate Your Ecological Footprint

Due Date:

Tuesday, February 19, at the beginning of class.

Purpose:

To assess your impact on the earth's Natural Capital.You will use the website demonstrated in class to calculate your personal Ecological Footprint. You will do 2 footprints so that you can compare your life at Kenyon vs. your life at home (or some other place you spend time).

What to do:

• Choose two locations that make sense (e.g., Kenyon and home or Kenyon and your vacation home on the lake!)
• For each of your two locations do the following:
  • Go to the Calcuator website. Paste the following URL into a new window on your browser: (http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/)
  • Global Footprint Network
  • Go through the questions to calculate your footprint
    • ANSWER THE DETAILED QUESTIONS - the bottom half of the screen
    • Write down your footprint from the finals screen: Record both of these results:
      • # Planets your lifestyle would require
      • # Global Hectares your lifestyle would require (including the different types of land)

What you should hand in:

• On a single page of paper.
• Two lines of information:
  • Line 1 - Kenyon Footprint, #Planets, #Global Acres by land type
  • Line 2 - Second Location Footprint, #Planets, #Global Acres by land type

  To Finish: any thoughts you have on the difference you see in your lifestyle in the 2 locations