Evaluating Ecology Footprint Analysis

Words: 708 Pages: 3

Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

It is important to note that all forms of essential human activities and lifestyle choices leave a significant impact on the environment. Ecological footprint refers to the amount of land needed to sustain the overall consumption and use of natural resources for an individual or group (Global Footprint Network, 2022). The ecological footprint is essentially a basic metric that measures how much nature’s resources and materials individuals use. The ecological footprint helps governments in improving the resilience and well-being of the population. Local leadership allows for achieving optimization of investments in various projects at the regional and local levels. In the case of individuals, it helps to understand their impact on the planet. Sustainability is a complex cross-sectoral issue and requires that all actors in society, from policymakers to individuals, be involved in the co-creation of sustainable socio-economic alternatives. Introducing lifestyle changes in eating habits, transportation, housing, and buying patterns can lead to a significant drop in ecological footprint.

Table 1

Website Name	Size of Ecological Footprint	Size of Ecological Footprint with Modified Lifestyle
Global Footprint Network	17.9	7.2
Conservation	18.07	8.03

Table 2

	Global Footprint Network	Conservation
Strengths	1. User interface	1. Average US
	2. Number of questions	2. US Imperial system
	3. Type of questions	3. Availability of information
	4. Results in area size	4. Tree requirement information
	5. Availability of information	5. Opportunity to offset the footprint
Weaknesses	1. Metric system	1. No results in area size
	2. The lack of average values	2. Poor user interface
	3. No opportunity to offset the footprint	3. Questions too simple
	4. No tree requirement information	4. Not enough questions
	5. Requires more details for accuracy	5. Some questions ask for yearly values

Table 3

1. Use public transportation more often

2. Reduce my meat consumption

3. Improve my fuel economy or switch to an electric car

4. Buy locally

5. Generate less trash

Analysis

The lifestyle changes were highly effective since they decreased my ecological footprint more than twofold. The majority of these changes do not require any form of investment or financial input.

Apartment buildings are less resource-intensive than standalone houses, and the number of people residing in a house determines how efficiently the space is utilized. It is stated that “a highly efficient house uses significantly less energy over its lifetime than the energy used to build it” (Global Footprint Network, 2022, para. 1). It is due to the fact that each housing unit or house requires a separate infrastructure, such as electric lines or sewer pipes, which serve more people efficiently in apartment homes. The simplest example would involve a wall shared between two apartments compared to external walls of a single separate house, which indicates a better use of the same amount of materials used. The type of material from which a particular house or housing unit is built influences the environmental and ecological impact of the structure.

Buying habits are important to determining ecological footprint because each product or service bought produces leaves a specific amount of ecological footprint. For example, purchasing an item in a paper bag instead of a plastic bag leaves a better ecological footprint because the paper is degradable, whereas plastic will remain for several centuries polluting the environment. In addition, buying locally requires less transportation, which translates into less fuel use. Thus, buying local products is significantly more friendly to the ecology than goods transported over large distances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the introduction of lifestyle changes in eating habits, transportation, housing, and buying patterns can lead to a significant drop in ecological footprint. It is important to note that ecological footprint is a measure of land needed to sustain the overall consumption and use of natural resources for an individual or group. Therefore, all types of essential human activities and lifestyle choices leave a significant impact on the environment. The ecological footprint is useful because it allows one to calculate the overall pressure or impact on the environment. In addition, it resonates with the notion that human activities should not exceed the restorative capacity of the environment. Given the significance and, at the same time, the flexibility of this indicator, it is necessary to understand its methodological features of measurement, and current trends deserve serious assessment.

Reference

Global Footprint Network. (2022). Learn more. Web.