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Tread Lightly
When you go to the beach, you leave footprints in the sand. But did you know that you also have an ecological footprint?
What is an ecological footprint?
An ecological footprint is the food, water and space needed by a living thing to survive and grow. Every living thing on Earth has an ecological footprint. Things that are big, like redwood trees, usually need more food and water than things that are little, like dandelions. This means that a redwood tree has a bigger ecological footprint than a dandelion.
People have big ecological footprints; we have machines and buildings that no other living thing creates. If we can make our ecological footprints smaller, there will be more of the world to share with other living creatures.
We can make smaller footprints by composting, walking or riding bikes, recycling and much more! It's called living sustainably, so that we can make sure there's enough space, food and water for every living thing.
How can you make a smaller footprint?
- Pick up litter
- Remember to recycle paper and containers
- Start composting with vegetable peels, grass etc.
- Improve air quality by walking or riding to school instead of being driven there
- Remember to turn off the tap to save water
- Remember to turn the lights off to save energy
- Remember not to pour chemicals and cleaners down the drain - these end up in rivers and lakes and they can poison fish!
- Try to use re-useable plates and cutlery, instead of disposable plastic and Styrofoam - these end up in garbage dumps
- Think about what it means to be sustainable
- What are the three R’s? (Reduce, reuse, recycle)