Canada does pretty well on most global rankings. Does this mean that we can just maintain the status quo, or does it mean that we need to see ourselves as world leaders and demonstrate how we earned our place on the global stage?

Canada is the “Bigfoot” of ecological footprints! We are a small population in a huge country and, on average, we use more resources and create more waste than the planet can manage. The question is: what do we do about this situation? Currently, we are not leading sustainable lives. What do we have to sacrifice to become sustainable?...Or do we have to sacrifice at all?

Review your personal ecological footprint from Unit 4 Activity 1. As you move through this activity think about the concepts of sustainability, stewardship and carrying capacity.

You have been taught to be good stewards, to do your part in taking care of the environment. Turning off lights when you leave a room, turning off the tap when you are brushing your teeth. You know the drill, you know how to reduce your EF!

But how do we go beyond that to reduce the EF of our community or our country or the world? As citizens, we have powers you might not have even realized we have.

Take a moment to consider in particular, the comparison between a society addicted to slavery and a society addicted to oil. Today, as back in the era of the pre-Civil War America, how can we continue with the unsustainable system we find all around us?

Let’s consider what we are sacrificing if we shift our paradigm about how we want to live, what we value and what we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.

What do we have to sacrifice to get sustainability? Your EF was measured using 5 components: food, energy, goods and waste, transportation and shelter. You may be aware that depending on the EF calculator you use, the components may be different than these five. Also, they may give you a result in hectares rather than planets. These differences are not right or wrong; they all communicate the sustainability of our interrelationship with the natural world.

As you complete this activity, you will notice that we have selected one or two topics for your consideration within each EF component. You will learn about some of the ways that each component can be reduced. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the ways EFs are being reduced around the world. In addition, we have included some examples where our efforts may not yet be substantial enough. In these cases, you will have to decide for yourself the best next step.

Food

Depending on where you live there are many ways to increase your sustainability and shrink your EF, without sacrificing anything. We can make our diet much more sustainable by altering it - no sacrifices, just adaptation.  

Use these resources to deepen your understanding of what can be done, or done differently, to reduce your community’s EF.  If you want to visit any links in the following pdfs, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.

Eat as much local food as possible. Eat food that has had the least processing. Eat what is in season whenever you can. Reduce the amount of meat you eat. Buy only the food you are going to eat to reduce the amount of food waste. These are simple changes that will make a real difference to our sustainability.

Goods and Waste

We buy it, use it and then throw it out. It almost doesn’t matter what “it” is. That’s the pattern of consumerism. How can we change our thinking on this endless cycle? If we value clean air and water and believe that there are resources for future generations, something has to change.

Which people, or organizations, have influenced others to move towards environmental sustainability? What responsibility do governments have for the consumerism of their citizens?

Use the following resources to deepen your understanding of what can be done, or done differently, to reduce your community’s EF.  If you want to visit any links in the following pdfs, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.

Reduce buying or using single serve water bottles; carry a reusable water bottle. Get and use a cloth bag for your shopping. Increase your sustainability and shrink your EF while you save money. Not much of a sacrifice there.

Shelter

Of all of the components of your personal EF this is likely the one you have least control over. You didn’t chose the home you currently live in. Nor did you pick the community. The reality however, is that your home contributes to your EF.

What are the trends around housing that could reduce your EF?  

Use these resources to deepen your understanding of what can be done, or done differently, to reduce your community’s EF.  If you want to visit any links in the following pdf, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.  

It is never too early to be thinking and planning your future. Could some of these ideas be incorporated into your dream home?

Transportation

In a country the size of Canada, transportation infrastructure and systems are critical components of how we live and the size of our EF. What roles and responsibilities do companies and governments have to protect the natural environment they move through? Also when you are shopping for pineapples from Hawaii, or that cute top you found in Walmart that was made in China, do you stop to think about the transportation network that brought it to your community?

Use these resources to deepen your understanding of what can be done, or done differently, to reduce your community’s EF.  If you want to visit any links in the following pdfs, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.  

You know walking or taking public transit are ways to reduce your EF. There are however, times when and places where that isn’t an option. When you think about the food you eat and the stuff you buy, try to think about the transportation for those items. Is there any way to reduce your EF in those situations?

Energy

You will recall the video from the beginning of this activity. Among other things, the presenter compares our dependence on fossil fuel based energy systems to the system of slavery in pre-Civil War America. The challenge is not just to imagine what a different energy system looks like but also to plan a way to that future (hopefully without the horrors of the American Civil War and its aftermath). A plan must be found if we are to achieve our goal of sustainability.

Use these resources to deepen your understanding of what can be done, or done differently, to reduce your community’s EF.  If you want to visit any links in the following pdfs, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.

The opportunity exists for individual action but the enormous complexity and interdependence of the current energy system requires collective action: action from governments (local, regional, national and international), businesses and individuals as well. What is the most effective way forward? What is the role of government or the market?