The document discusses the ecological footprint and its concepts, including carbon and water footprints, highlighting the disparity between human demand on natural resources and the Earth's biocapacity. It emphasizes the ongoing global ecological overshoot, where humanity currently requires 1.5 Earths worth of resources annually, and outlines green remediation strategies to minimize environmental impacts. The document also calls for sustainable practices to manage consumption and promote environmental awareness.

2.  Introduction –human demand (foot print)
vs. bio-capacity.
 Concept of ecological foot print
 Explanation of EF with examples
 Concept of carbon foot print.
 Explanation of CF with examples.
 concept of Green remediation
 Techniques of greener clean up.
 Concept of water foot print.
 Remedial measures
 conclusion

3.  Global change can be
defined as changes in
the global environment
Natural
changes (including alterations in
climate, land
productivity, oceans or
other water resources,
atmospheric chemistry,
and ecological
systems) that may alter
Human- induced the capacity of the
changes Earth to sustain life.

4. Ecological  the effects humans have
Supply / on our planet.
biocapacity  It compares human
demand against
nature’s supply of
biocapacity.
 The EF / BC accounting
system tracks the human
demand and supply of
nature.
Demand on
Nature /
Eco-footprint

7. The EF concept was introduced by William
Rees and Mathis Wackernagel in 1992-94.
EF is a performance measure of productive
capacity of the biosphere used to provide
natural resources and absorb wastes.

8.  The EF compares human demand on
nature with nature’s regenerative
capacity.
 The demand includes both the resources
we consume as well as the wastes we
produce.
 The EF is resource management/
accounting tool .
 The footprint calculates our impacts in
terms of planets.

9.  Every living organism
consumes the Earth's
resources in order to survive.
 The consumption of natural
resources and subsequent
waste has an impact
on our ecosystems.
 When the consumption and
waste activities extend
beyond the earth's carrying
capacity, ecological
degradation occurs.

10.  It is a measure of the
demands and the
consumption of natural
resources by people.
 The sizes of ecological
footprint vary from country
to country and from person
to person.

11.  Per capita ecological footprint (EF) is a means of
comparing consumption and lifestyles, with nature's
bio-productivity.
 The footprint can also be a useful tool to educate
people about carrying capacity and over-
consumption , with the aim of altering people
behavior and life style.

12.  Since the mid 1980s,
humanity has been in
ecological overshoot
with annual demand on
resources exceeding
what Earth can
regenerate each year.
 It now takes the Earth
one year and four
months to regenerate
what we use in a year.

14.  The current human population’s ecological
footprint is equal to 1.5 Earths.
 Ecological footprint analysis is now widely used
around the globe as an indicator of
environmental sustainability.

16. We have one planet, so we must find
ways to live within earth’s limits.
Global ecosystems have a limited ability
to supply us with natural resources (e.g.
water, food, solar energy). This is called
Biocapacity.
When a population’s ecological
footprint exceeds the biocapacity,
biological resource “overshoot” occurs.

17.  A global hectare is defined as the
average global capacity to produce
resources and absorb waste products.
 There are only 2.1 global hectares of
biologically productive area/ person
available on the planet.
 But the average global ecological
footprint is 2.7 global hectares / person.

18.  Bioproductive land - land required
to produce crops, grazing (pasture),
timber (forest) etc.
 Bioproductive sea - sea area
required to provide fish and
seafood.
 Energy land - 'new' forest required
for the absorption of carbon
emissions to stabilise CO2 levels in
the atmosphere.
 Built land - such as buildings and
roads. Once built on, land is no
longer bioproductive in any year.
 Biodiversity - refers to the area of
land and water that would need to
be set-aside to preserve
biodiversity.

20.  The amount of
greenhouse gases we
contribute to the
atmosphere measured
in units of carbon
dioxide.
 The carbon footprint
has become a
popular tool to
estimate GHG
emissions related to
human activities (Moss
et al 2008,Wiedmann
2009).

21.  Carbon footprint (CF) – also named
Carbon profile - is the overall amount of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
associated with a product.).

22.  A measure of the amount of carbon
dioxide emitted through fossil fuel
combustion.
 An average carbon footprint of a British
citizen is about 10 tonnes of CO2
 An average carbon footprint of an Indian
citizen is round about 1.5 tonnes of CO2

23.  use of transportation (planes,
cars, trains)
 burning of fossil fuels (petrol,
coal)
 process of manufacturing
products (clothing, food,
personal products)
 use of household electricity
(computers, lights)
 use of pesticides
 Heating and cooling – hot
water showers, central
heating, air conditioning

24.  The primary footprint is a
measure of our direct
emissions of carbon
dioxide e.g.the burning of
fossil fuels for domestic
energy consumption and
transportation.
 The secondary footprint is
a measure of the indirect
carbon dioxide emissions
from the whole lifecycle of
the products.

26.  Brown carbon – industrial emissions of
GHGs.
 Green carbon – carbon stored in terrestrial
ecosystems-e.g. plants, soils, wetlands
grazing lands.
 Blue carbon – carbon stored in ocean
ecosystems- e.g. mangroves, marshes, sea
grasses, coral reefs, macro-algae.
 Black carbon – carbon from incomplete
combustion of fossil fuels.

27.  Green Remediation is the application of
technologies and approaches that enhance a
cleanup of environmental, social, and economic
footprints of any project.
 Green Remediation assessments identify potential
impacts of any project that occur on local,
regional, and global scales.
 It includes the direct and indirect releases of
contaminants, the consumption of raw materials,
the production, collection, and disposal of wastes.
 It is a holistic approach that incorporates
sustainability concepts and life-cycle assessments.

28. Five core elements of green remediation(OSWER ):
 Energy: strategies to improve energy efficiency and use of
renewable energy sources.
 Air and atmosphere: develop advanced technologies and
sound field practices to reduce GHG emissions and air
pollutants.
 Water: Use efficient techniques to manage and protect
surface water and groundwater.
 Land and ecosystems: minimize further harm to the area,
protect land resources and ecosystems
 Materials and waste: reduce materials consumption and
waste generation, use recycled and local materials and
spent products, and purchase environmentally preferred
products

29. 1. Minimize total energy use and maximizes use of
renewable energy resources.
2. Minimize air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle material and waste.
4. Reduce the use of natural and non renewable
energy resources.
5. Minimize water use and impacts to water resources.
6. Protect land and ecosystems.
7. Develop new methods of green remediation
practices.

31.  Water footprint measures the
consumption and contamination
of freshwater resources.
 It was first introduced by Hoekstra
in 2002 to provide a consumption-
based indicator of water use.
 Water footprint differs around the
world and depends on climate,
soil types, irrigation methods and
crop genetics.

33.  Your water footprint extends
beyond the average 80-100
gallons of water you use
everyday.
 A product water footprint is
the total volume of
freshwater consumed,
directly and indirectly, to
produce a product.

35.  Each person daily needs 20 to 50
liters for drinking and hygiene.
 Since 1970, global demand for
water has risen nearly 2.4 % per
annum.
 20 developing countries are
classified as ‘water scarce’.

37.  Locate the point sources of
pollution.
 Work against acid rain.
 Educate your community.
 Ensure sustainable sewage
treatment.
 Watch out for toxins.
 Be careful what you throw
away.
 Use water efficiently.
 Spread the word.

38. “ Water has the power to move millions of
people – let it move us in the direction of
peace”.
-Mikhail Gorbachev, president,
Green Cross International.

39.  Dr.B.Victor is a highly experienced postgraduate
biology teacher, recently retired from the reputed
educational institution - St. Xavier’ s College,
Palayamkottai, India-627001.
 He was the dean of sciences and assistant controller
of examinations.
 He has more than 32 years of teaching and research
experience
 He has taught a diversity of courses ranging from
pre- university to post graduate classes.
 Send your comments to : bonfiliusvictor@gmail.com