This week we explored the idea of an Ecological Footprint calculator with Mrs. Delcaro and Mr. Blick’s 4/5 classes. Everything we use in our daily lives comes from the earth. But how much can the earth produce for us? And how much can the earth absorb in the form of waste? Are Canadians living within the earth’s capacities?
The electricity that we use to power our phones, lights, refrigerators mostly comes from renewable hydropower in BC. In rural BC, we use fossil fuels to power our school buses to get to school. When discussing food, there was a wide range of answers from the students of where their food comes from. Some families live on farms and eat a lot of food that is produced locally. Some families get food mainly from the grocery store. All the students have reusable water bottles on their desks. We also talked about how much waste we produce in earlier Beyond Recycling lessons.
So what did our footprint calculator say? If everyone in the world lived like us, we would need 4.5 earths! Yikes. We only have one earth! It’s a good thing the students know some ways to reduce their Ecological Footprint.
Students gave examples like:
- ‘Don’t waste paper’-Olivia
- ‘Use less energy’-Rowan
- ‘Turn off lights and use the sunlight’ Madison
- Take out the compost.
- Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth.
- ‘Drive a bike or walk to your destination and smell the fresh air’ Kevin
- ‘Don’t throw out good food’ Zara
- ‘My dad doesn’t even drive me to school anymore. I walk to school, and then I get to walk home with my friend Olivia instead of driving.’ Chensi
Are you curious about your footprint? Try it out here!