Learning outcome 2.3 Students should be able to create a visual representation of data depicting their ecological footprint.
Exercise 36A Calculating my environmental impact Key Skills
Success criteria
I can identify the factors that add up to my impact on the environment.
Carbon footprint measures the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released because of a person’s or an organisation’s activities, such as travel. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon, which causes pollution and leads to the greenhouse eff ect. This causes the Earth to heat up. Reducing your carbon footprint can help to reduce global warming. ● Direct carbon emissions come directly from an activity. If you travel to school by car rather than walking, your direct carbon footprint will be higher.
● Indirect carbon emissions are not produced by an individual but generated because of decisions individuals make. For example, if you buy fresh fl owers that have travelled from Kenya, the cost of the fl ight makes your indirect carbon footprint higher.
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF are just some of the organisations fi ghting against climate change and raising awareness of how to do it. In Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government agency responsible for protecting and improving the environment.
Answer the questions below to calculate how environmentally friendly you are.
1. How do you get to school? (a) Walk/cycle
(b) Bus/train
2. How often does a member of your family fl y in an aeroplane? (a) Once a year or less
(b) 2–3 times a year
3. What type of vehicle(s) does your family have? (a) None
(b) Electric car (b) Sometimes
(c) Car (c) At least once per month (c) Diesel or petrol car
4. Do you leave electrical items like laptops, TVs or games consoles on standby? (a) Never