The Sustainability Barrel |
Ecological Footprint |
The sustainability barrel, which is also referred to as the triple bottom line, includes the social, economic, and environmental factors of sustainability. Lets look at the social aspect of sustainability, for this we must consider individuals and populations and the level of education and affluence they possess. Generally speaking, those who have a higher level of education tend to have more appreciation and awareness of the environment and the issues concerning it. Yet a higher education can also mean having more affluence and an increased demand for resources. For this reason, it is important to educate people on energy conservation and sustainable practices to promote healthier lifestyles and habitat creation. Moving on to the economic aspect of sustainability, we must consider factors such as income and job growth within a society. The creation of more jobs increases the flow of money within a system and can be used to benefit both people and the environment. Some individuals and poorer countries may not have access to nutritious food, water, or other resources which leads to economic decline and environmental degradation. A sustainable and environmentally friendly system can only be supported successfully through a stable economy. The final aspect of sustainability we will look at is the environmental factor. We depend on our planet to provide us with the resources we need to survive and live our current lifestyles. As we take away from the environment, it is crucial to remember to maintain and preserve some parts of it to prevent degradation from pollution or the overuse of land.
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In a lesson given by Mrs. McAllister, we talked about our Ecological Footprints or the estimate of the number of Earths it would take to sustain our lifestyles. On average, according to class results, we as Americans require at least 4 Earths to live the way we do. That is much more than other countries such as Haiti (as pictured in the graph below) Living in a developed and heavily industrialized nation raises the demands for resources including oil, food, healthcare, transportation, and the growth and development of various industries. However, in order for such a society to thrive and still be able to support future generations, we must preserve and maintain these resources, especially those which are non renewable. Unfortunately, with growing populations and the demand for more resources, the amount of waste production increases. Sustainable practices can help lower our ecological footprints by limiting our use of resources through effective methods including using less energy, less water, walking instead of driving, carpooling, habitat protections, etc.
photos courtesy of footprint network.org |