25.08.14 Eight countries footprint research project

This project was the result of research by Mathis Wackernagel and his team at the Global Footprint Network:

While you are on this site, you can start by determining your ecological footprint.

Note how travel and food impact your score, with 1.0 earths being the goal.

who in the class had the highest and the lowest numbers, and why?
what are things you can change, which are out of your control?
are dorms more efficient than single homes? explain
we will learn later on that New York City dwellers have a low footprint-why?
how does your diet impact your footprint?
how does your commute to school, or back home at holidays impact your footprint?

Next, we'll look at lots of people, e.g. countries...

We worked with the staff at global footprint to create a mystery project:

Your team will be given a folder with 8 countries.

You may group them any way you like, but this is all about cause and effect:

2010 version:

2026 version:

Keep in mind, the total is like a cake: all of the categories add up to the top level

You will also notice that countries with green above red have a positive footprint balance, while those with red above do not.

The negative impacts are often carbon and built-up land, but not always.

Consider the following, trying to determine cause and effect:

How would you group the countries? Language? Economy? Religion? Footprint?
What are the general trends in each?
When do you see great changes or transitions, and in what category?
What events seem to be periodic?
What is the shape and duration of each "event"?
When would you predict that each country goes from net positive to negative footprint balance or reverse?
Where would you want to live when you are 40? Why?

This is all about cause and effect.

Google can give you answers or try to explain cause and effect.

It is often wrong.

Try using google with the "more" tab to just use web.

Have fun!

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