Chapter 31, Problem 1AC

List some reasons that the ecological footprints of U.S. residents are very large. How could you reduce the size of your own footprint? How does the ecological footprint of U.S. residents extend into the Tropics?

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Reasons that the ecological footprints of U.S. residents are very large.

Introduction:

Ecological footprint estimate how fast an individual can consume natural resources and how fast the individual produce waste and the surface area left for waste to absorb. It measures all the natural resources along with carbon footprint and estimate accordingly, U.S. residents have very large ecological footprint because of their lavish lifestyle, consume so much of energy, have a high population which lives in high space area, use woods to construct their homes, and more reliable on the synthetic food or fast food.

Explanation of Solution

The U.S. is a very powerful country in the world and world’s largest consumer economy, ecological footprint estimate the consumption and the generation of resources. Hence, U.S. residents consume most of the natural resources and they generate waste.

List of reasons are given below:

1. They more reliable on the non-renewable resources, higher consumption of fossil fuel and energy.

2. The consumption of bio-resources is high due to increase in population growth.

3. Due to urbanization, the ecological footprint is increasing because in United States woods are most commonly used in home construction and also living space in the United States is far higher than the other countries, which lead to increase more consumption of furnishings, cleaning, maintenance, and heating, cooling

4. U.S. resident consumes more paper than other countries.

5. High meat and grain consumption

6. They avoid the usage of public transportation, more usage of cars.

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Methods to reduce ecological footprint.

Introduction:

Ecological footprint estimate how fast they consume natural resources and how fast they produce waste and the surface area left on earth for waste absorb. For reducing the ecological footprint first every individual has understood about ecological footprint.

Explanation of Solution

To save the world or the environment an individual should follow these ways.

Methods to reduce ecological footprint are given below:

1. Reduce the consumption of fossil fuel and other non-renewable resources.

2. Reduce the heating and cooling in the houses and save energy.

3. Use energy efficient compact fluorescent and LED bulb,

4. Use major appliances and use most energy efficient models.

5. Use most efficient fuel car or use public transport, walk or bicycle.

6. Avoid the use of plastic, if using then tries to recycle it

7. Conserve water

8. Support sustainable practices like food choice: look for coffee with the bird-friendly, buy locally grown products, avoid the use of harmful chemicals or limit the uses of insecticides, herbicides

9. Educate peoples and spread awareness to avoid the usage of fossil fuel, non-renewable resources

10. Reduce population growth because the population is the major factor for increasing the ecological footprint.

Summary Introduction

To determine:

How ecological footprint of U.S. residents extends into the tropics.

Introduction:

U.S. residents have a larger ecological footprint which largely adding to the world’s deficit of Earth’s resources. Due to their high consumption and lavish lifestyle causing them to move towards tropical regions, now they are cutting down tropics so they can provide woods to their residents and more land to grow crops like soy, coffee, sugarcane.

Explanation of Solution

U.S. residents are cutting their tropics because they do not have more land to grow the crops. They do not have woods to provide every individual or resident in the United States so they extend into the tropics.

Reasons are given below

1. Due to their lavish lifestyle, big houses, wooden houses they do not have more space, that’s why U.S. residents are extended into the tropics

2. U.S. resident have used lots of woods in the construction of houses so now they do not have woods to provide their residents so they are cutting the tropics.

3. they have used their lands for making houses for themselves now they do not have land to grow crops so this is also the one reason that they extend into the tropics.

Conclusion

The reasons for the large ecological footprint of U.S. resident is their lavish lifestyle, their needs, their way of consumption.

Methods to reduce the ecological footprint are, avoiding the usage of non-renewable sources, cars, heating, and cooling appliances. Start using renewable sources, conserve water, and use eco-friendly products

The reason that U.S. residents are extended into the tropics is lack of space and woods and other resources