Ecological footprint

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ecological-footprint

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary unit of measurement?Global hectares (gha), representing biologically productive land and water area
2. What is the core comparison?Human demand on nature versus Earth's regenerative capacity (biocapacity)
3. Why do we need to know our ecological footprint?It tells us if we are using more Earth than it can give back. It helps us see if our habits are sustainable.
4. How many Earths do we need right now?We need about 1.71 Earths to support all the things we use and the waste we create. That means we are using more than one planet.

Natural Capital: The world's stock of natural assets that produce ecosystem services essential for life.
Biologically Productive Area: Land and sea areas capable of regenerating resources and absorbing waste.
Ecological Overshoot: The condition where human demand on nature exceeds the planet's biocapacity.