GEF

Unit 2  |  Humanity’s Ecological Footprint 35 Over the course of time, humanity’s impact on Earth has increased dramatically. We are now facing significant chal- lenges as a global civilization, such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, resource depletion, and widespread economic inequality. Scientists predict that by the year 2050, Earth will be host to between 9 and 10 billion humans. This unit explores the concept of ecological footprint: a measure of human resource use and pollution, compared with the Earth’s capacity to regenerate. When we use ecological footprints to compare different modes of living, it can help identify ways to become a more sustainable society. THE BIG IDEA ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT The impact of a person or community on the environ- ment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. UNIT 2 SELF-ASSESSMENT Before beginning this unit, consider what you already know about sustainability by completing this self-assessment. For each statement below, rate your current level of confidence with understanding sustainability concepts. NOT CONFIDENT SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT CONFIDENT I am able to explain the concept of ecological footprint, and discuss why it is an important component of sustainability. ❍ ❍ ❍ I am able to describe the emergence of large- scale agriculture. ❍ ❍ ❍ I am able to define the term “carrying capacity,” and explain why it is essential to understanding sustainability. ❍ ❍ ❍ I am able to discuss why the impacts of the Industrial Revolution continue to be the primary drivers behind our ecological footprint today. ❍ ❍ ❍ I am able to identify the main causes of global warming, and explain why scientists prefer the term “climate change.” ❍ ❍ ❍