RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES:
The world's population grows, and should be provided with food, quality water a place to live, energy and other needs. Open spaces are decreasing, drinking water sources are becoming fewer, and the urban territories are expanding. The industrial and technological development, the agriculture expands, the increased consumption habits, all of this and more, causes a rapid depletion of the earth's natural resources and space. Moreover, a greater amount of land and water is required to assimilate the growing waste generated by humans.
It is important that the world citizens will realize the harsh environmental reality. Understanding the concept of ecological footprint, can increase students internalization of the shortage in worlds' space, and empower their motivation to live a more sustainable life.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be aware of the shortage in space on earth to provide humans the modern lifestyle, and will acquire the skills to
reduce their ecological footprint. They will internalize that: "Humanity's Ecological Footprint is as much as 30 percent larger than
nature can sustain in the long run. In other words, present consumption exceeds natural income by 30 percent and is therefore partially dependent on capital (wealth) depletion. The lavish partying by the wealthy few today means a hefty bill for everyone tomorrow", (Wackernagel and Rees 1996.p.90).
ACTIVITIES:
Activity #1. Weight your/family garbage for 7 days:
1.1. Compare your average waste weight to your country average per person, and global average:
1.2. Suggest ways to minimize your personal waste
Activity #2: The 5 ‘Rs’ are 5 key factors when thinking about how to minimize your waste, Find out what they are and give an example from your personal life.
Activity #3. Ecological footprint:
3.1. Calculate your own footprint: link to survey
http://ecologicalfootprint.com/
3.2. List of countries by ecological footprint:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ecological_footprint
USA and Canada have a similar Ecological footprint, However one country has a deficit and the other does not. Explain why.
3.3. What is the connection between Ecological footprint, Country area and population?
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. http://heschel.org.il/sites/heschel.org.il/files/tbyt_rgl_qvlvgyt.pdf
2. The story of stuff- Short movie http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/
3. Waste Land- movie by Vic Moniz
4. טל, ט', מורג, א', גן ד' ואלכסנדרי א' (2009). חינוך סביבתי וחינוך לקיימות: עקרונות, רעיונות ודרכי פעולה, עמודים 39-42 המשרד להגנת הסביבה, משרד החינוך, נדלה מ:
5. http://api.ning.com/files/zuYEAwTbsuO4Me36gYWj4xIZAeanWRCybmpAirlbhAucRVuZwN3au0AlDeIIxw4KTtZHyxNmWNxPpQp52H1z5asqT*8azI1M/file.pdf
6. קלצ'קו שרה וחובריה. (2014). יש לנו רק כדור אחד – פסולת מוצקה, משאב המים. אוניברסיטת בר אילן, מטה מל"מ ואגף מדעים, המזכירות הפדגוגית, משרד החינוך המרכז להוראת המדעים.
Galli, A., Giampetro, M., Goldfinger, S., Lazarus, E., Lin D., Saltelli,A., Wackernagel, M., Muller,F. (2016). Questioning the Ecological Footprint, Ecological Indicators, 69: 224-232
Galli,A., Wackernagel,M.,Kotsunori,I.,Lazarus, E.(2014).Ecological Footprint: Implication s to Biodiversity,Biological Conservation, 173: 121-132
7. Wackernagel, M., & Rees, W. (1998). Our ecological footprint: reducing human impact on the earth (No. 9). New Society Publishers.