Ecological/carbon Footprint Flashcards
Define ecological footprint?
A measure of how many resources are needed to support a person, city, country or population’s lifestyle.
How do I use carbon?
Clothing Heating Recreation Education Hygiene Electronics Household Food Community
How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
1 use less electric - turn off lights, turn down heating
2 change to a supplier that uses renewable sources
3. Eat less fast food. Eat more food locally produced
4 eat less meat. Cows give off methane and trees are cut down for their grazing. Cows use lots of water. Burger production uses lots of fuel . 2 meat free days
5 move to a smaller house - uses less energy and wastes less
6 take bus instead of car - use less carbon energy
7 holiday in U.K. - aeroplanes use lots of carbon energy
What are food miles?
The distance your food has to travel to get from your suppliers to your plate. This can include processing and packaging?
Examples of food miles?
Avocados from Chile Plums, peaches and coriander from Spain Grapes from Greece Apples from New Zealand Tomatoes from Morocco Broccoli from Kenya Green beans from Egypt Sweet potatoes from USA
How do food miles affect the environment?
Food transportation and processing is by machines and vehicles that emit greenhouse gases especially carbon dioxide.
If food is grown locally but out of season or in an unsustainable energy intensive way e.g. Greenhouses use more electricity in winter.
How do we reduce food miles?
Buying locally reared or grown food.
Improve efficiency in food preparation e.g. Dishwashers use lots of energy.
Use less water in food preparation.
Grow your own groceries and do t get food delivered.
Buy British food.
What is sustainability?
We need to use the earths resources to maintain and improve our standard of living. Use the earths resources sensibly now to safeguard their use in the future for our children and grandchildren.
Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are sustainable approaches?
Deforestation for making paper and wooden things and fuel but causes soil erosion, loss of habitat and global warming if we are not careful.
We could plant more tress to replace those cut down.
Burning fossil fuels - electricity
We could make coal power stations more efficient to use less coal is burned.
Or use clean renewable resources like wind or solar power.
Increased car ownership and use
We use cars more and more and the fumes are greenhouses gases and the process to make cars and fuel cause greenhouse gases.
We could use cars less by walking or taking public transport or sharing a lift.
We could also use cars rung on electricity or biomass fuel.
Increase in household waste
We throw away too many things and use too much plastic.
Plastic is useful but we can’t get rid of it. 8 m tonnes of waste plastic ends up in the sea each year.
It becomes micro plastic and ends up in beaches and the food chain.
We could recycle more and use less plastic.
How could we use less plastic?
No plastic straws Reusable bag Give up gum Uses boxes not bottles Reuse mugs and bottles Matches not plastic lighters Don't buy frozen because Too much packaging Eat fruit don't buy plastic fruit drinks or pre cut fruit Reusable containers for your lunch
