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Ecological footprints
     

  • 'How shall we learn to tread more lightly on the face of the Earth? One sound answer is to calculate our "ecological footprint", being the impact that each and every one of us makes through our daily lifestyles.' Professor Norman Myers

  • 'Ecological footprinting is a tool to help us think more clearly about our relationship to the planet and, hence, to future generations.' Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute
Background to the 'ecological footprint'
The concept of an ecological footprint was put forward by Matthias Wackernagel and William E Rees in their 1996 book 'Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth'. It has come to embrace a range of ideas. Their preferred definition of sustainability can be summarised as ‘delivering quality of life for all within the means of nature’. The aim is to quantify our use of nature, and compare this with the carrying capacity of our ecosystems, so that we can assess environmental sustainability.
Best Foot Forward http://www.bestfootforward.com
Redefining progress Good pdf brochure explains the concept. http://www.rprogress.org
Footprint of Nations Ecological Footprint 2.0 Redefining Progress's new approach to measuring how much of the earth's carrying capacity it takes to sustain humanity’s consumption of goods and services. Footprint 2.0 makes a number of improvements to the standard footprint approach. Has downloadable Excel sheet. http://www.ecologicalfootprint.org/
Wales' footprint http://www.walesfootprint.org/
Scotland's footprint - two competing sites http://www.scotlands-footprint.com/ http://www.scotlandsfootprint.org/
WWF footprint page http://www.wwf.org.uk/researcher/issues/footprint/index.asp
   
 

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Calculating your ecological footprint
There are lots of sites which allow you to estimate the impact you're having on the planet.
Redefining progress - a page on eco footprints with a link to a calculator http://www.rprogress.org/programs/sustainability/ef/
Best Foot Forward footprint lifestyle calculator http://www.bestfootforward.com/footprintlife.htm
Ecology Fund calculator - a version of best foot forward (above) http://www.ecologyfund.com/registry/ecology/res_bestfoot.html
Environment Agency (flash) You need to know how many kms and kilos and so on for this one. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/kids_new/519308/572107?version=1
Footprint quiz - easily adapted as a pencil and paper exercise http://www.scotlandsfootprint.org/my_footprint/quiz.php
Mountain equipment coop footprint calculator http://www.mec.ca/Apps/ecoCalc/ecoCalc.jsp
SafeClimate carbon footprint calculator allows individuals and organizations to determine carbon dioxide emissions from major sources http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/
 

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Download an ecological footprint calculator
Teachers can install a footprint calculator from ESF About http://csf.concord.org/esf/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=11

Download options http://csf.concord.org/esf/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=12

PC and IE http://csf.concord.org/esf/resources/software/efc/install.htm

 

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Follow up to the 'ecological footprint'
New Scientist earth page http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/
Sustainable development page from Yahoo! http://uk.dir.yahoo.com
WWF - The conservation organisation http://www.panda.org/
Encams - UK environmental campaigns group which aims to achieve litter free and sustainable environments http://www.encams.org/
Defra sustainable development page http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/sustainable/index.htm
UK Govt sustainable development website http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/
Energy Information Administration Check who's guzzling the gas in the USA. http://www.eia.doe.gov/

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