The reason to this is in fact very simple. The Earth uses more than what is given to them. The definition of Ecological Overdraft is the point at which human consumption exceeds the ability of earth to sustain it. I guess in a way we all contribute towards this "Overdraft" however after reading the article World Moves Into The Ecological Red I began to realize how much the United States is contributing towards Global Warming hence the Ecological Overdraft and the statistics are simply shocking. One statement that really worried me was " If everyone in the world had the same consumption rates as in the United States it would take 5.3 planet earths to support them". Anyone will agree that this is quite scary and what makes it worse is the fact that a lot of countries are starting to act like America and if this happens our clock would not only skip one tick but maybe a few at a time. However on a brighter note countries such as China are using coal-fired power station it would only take 0.9 of a planet opposed to 5.3 by the USA. I found this article extremely interesting as it shows us it's not too late to create a change in this world and the fact that we need a change. I think what seperated this article from the many I read before were the very strong facts and numbers which really made an impact. I admit I like many others will find it hard to cut down on my bad habits which may contribute towards the Ecological Overdraft but I think it's the factories, army's, etc. that need to make the real change. I strongly believe that people should read this article because it had an affect on me and I am not the most environmentally loving/caring person out there. I think that this article is a realiable sources because all the information is given by the New Economics Foundation and while researching I came across many more articles too by the NEF proving that it is quite reliable if not they won't be used this frequently. The URL of this website is http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL04722887.
What in my opinion is the Carbon Footprint?
If I am to answer this question with no research at all these would be my thoughts and opinions. I think the Carbon Footprint is a metaphor and a symbol to an extent. We all pollute! it's a known fact. Whether it is through vehicles, factories, etc. we all do it.. due to this we all contribute towards Global Warming. So what I think the Carbon Footprint really means is the fact that we are all printing behind our footprint and leaving a scar behind as the world start to come to an end due to Global Warming.
However what is the real definition of Carbon Footprint?
"A Carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc."
"A carbon footprint is a measurement of all the greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent"
The article I found more interesting was definitely the article was the Ecological Overdraft. Although the Article on the Carbon footprint was interesting too and even though they were both done by Simms, I had never really researched about the Ecological Overdraft which was something new to me. In addition I like the fact that a lot of solid facts and figures were given about the situation instead of just writing.
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonfootprint.html - This site is about the Carbon Footprint and I think this site is VERY interesting. This is because the first thing we see is a Pie Chart showing how an individual pollutes and in the end you can calculate your carbon footprint. I think this site is particularly good as it doesn't give you the boring facts but rather a reality check to ourselves depicting how each of us are destroying this world.
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