Lab 2: Environmental Worldviews and Ecological Footprints
Introduction
Humans need and use natural resources to survive. However, unlike most other species, we consume natural resources not just for survival, but also for convenience and status. In addition, while non-human species typically acquire the natural resources they need from within the ecosystems where they reside, humans have devised ways to access natural resources from distant ecosystems to satisfy their needs and wants. All of this resource utilization has environmental implications, positive or negative, and it frames our individual connections to the biosphere.
As individuals we often have different environmental worldviews and cultural perspectives regarding our desire to use resources beyond meeting basic needs. How individuals believe the world works, what they think their role in the world should be, and what behaviors they believe are right and wrong shapes their environmental worldview. Conversely, an individual’s worldview is reflected in their actions. In addition, due to differences in economic means, not all of us have the ability to use natural resources at the same level. This raises questions of equitable distribution of natural resources among human societies and between humans and other species.
Biologist Paul Ehrlich and physicist John Holden (1971) first proposed the following equation as a means to measure the environmental impact of a particular resource use: I = P x A x T, where I is the environmental impact, P is the number of people being considered, A is the affluence per person equated as resource consumption per person, and T is the environmental effects of using the resource. More recently, Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees (1996) developed the concept of an ecological footprint as a way for an individual to measure their personal environmental impact using a method that encapsulates the variables in Ehrlich’s and Holden’s equation. An ecological footprint is defined as the area of productive land required to provide resources and assimilate waste to meet consumption needs. Ecological footprints can be calculated at various levels such as for an individual, a community, a nation, or for the world.
In this lab you will explore your environmental worldview, evaluate your environmental actions, calculate your ecological footprint, and reflect on the impact of your activities on the Earth. You will also explore the concept of ecological overshoot and investigate the relationships among biocapacity, ecological footprint, and ecological overshoot.
Lab Objectives
In this lab, you will:
- Define worldview and discuss various dimensions that constitute environmental worldviews.
- Explain your personal worldview in the environmental context and reflect on the factors that shaped your environmental worldview.
- List the ways you positively and negatively impact the biosphere and discuss the environmental implications of your lifestyle.
- Discuss how and why lifestyle behaviors support or contradict environmental worldviews.
- Explore your environmental impacts by quantifying your ecological footprint.
- Compare and contrast your ecological footprint data with that of the average US footprint, the average footprint of other countries, and the fair share footprint.
- Define and describe relationships among biocapacity, ecological footprint, and ecological overshoot.
- Explain “Earth Overshoot Day” and apply to human impact on the planet.
- Explore solutions to address reduce ecological footprints and address overshoot.
Lab Directions
Part 1: Exploring Your Environmental Worldview
In this portion of the lab, you will explore your worldview by completing one of two surveys (your professor will assign one).
Survey Option 1
- Complete the Environmental Worldview Survey.
Describing an environmental worldview can be complicated, as there are several underlying aspects that inform our worldview, such as:
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- How we perceive the value of nature (whether as intrinsically valuable or of value only through its benefit to us)
- How we see ourselves fitting into nature (as superior, equal, or inferior in the web of life)
- How we balance our rights versus our responsibilities (to other groups in society, to other species, and to other generations)
- How we calculate the availability of resources (as finite or infinite)
- How we measure the consequences of technology (as essentially beneficial or largely harmful)
- How we view the resiliency of nature (as fragile and easily disrupted or as robust and enduring)
The Environmental Worldview Survey aims to help you identify and articulate the various dimensions of your worldview as described above. The statements in the survey are set up as opposing pairs, but there is no implication that a strong agreement with one should imply a strong disagreement with the other. Rather, you may find that you partially agree with both positions. Therefore, in responding to the pair of statements, consider the two as part of a continuum. In each case, circle the number on the scale that indicates the extent of your preference for one or the other viewpoint. If you strongly prefer one viewpoint circle #2, closer to the statement you agree with. If you have a slight preference, circle #1 as appropriate. If you have equal preference for both viewpoints, circle 0.
The point of this exercise is to get you to think about why you agree or disagree with the stated propositions and what they say about your worldview. After you have completed all the statements, reflect on the various dimensions of your worldview and discuss the social conditioning, cultural beliefs, family background, educational experiences, or any other influences that may have shaped your view on any particular statement.
Submit your completed Environmental Worldview Survey as instructed by your professor.
- Based on your responses in the Environmental Worldview Survey, select two images, each reflecting a different aspect of your environmental worldview. Ideally both images should be original photos you took, but for one of the images you can choose a cartoon sketch or an art image you found online. For your photos, identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found image you use, be sure to cite the source of your image.
Prepare a brief write-up for each photo/image in which you discuss why you selected it, and how and what it reflects of your worldview.You will be including these images and the accompanying narratives in the PowerPoint you will prepare as described below.
- Develop a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation as described in the Lab Response form. Make sure your slide presentation has sufficient text detail and visual elements so that it is self-explanatory to the reader.
Post your slides to a discussion board, Google folder, or another location as specified by your professor so that your classmates can view your work prior to the class discussion.
- Read the PowerPoint presentations of your classmates and be prepared to discuss the questions posted in the Lab Response form, either in class or on a discussion board.
Survey Option 2
- Complete the EcoType Survey. Make sure to select College of DuPage for the Group Code on the first page of the survey so that your survey response is identified as part of this course.
EcoTypes is an educational and research initiative by Professor Jim Proctor of Lewis & Clark College. By completing the EcoType Survey, you will discover both your EcoType (i.e., the broad framework that informs how you approach environmental issues) and your complementary EcoType (i.e., the EcoType that is most different from yours). While divergent worldviews challenge progress on environmental issues, disagreement does not have to be inevitable, nor do we always have to reach agreement. EcoTypes suggests a third option between disagree and agree: that “many care, just differently,” implying that engagement across difference can be a resource for progress. One practical application of EcoTypes is the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs, which encompass diverse global priorities such as No Poverty, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action, and Life Below Water, clearly exemplify how many can care differently yet be connected by a unifying set of goals.
The EcoType Survey should take you about 20-30 minutes to complete. The entire survey must be completed start to finish, so make sure you allow yourself sufficient time. The progress bar at bottom will show you how close you are to completing the survey. Reminder: select College of DuPage for the Group Code on the first page of the survey so that your survey response is identified as part of this course.
Before you take the survey, it will help for you to understand the EcoType Components. EcoTypes includes twelve Axes, from which three Themes and eight EcoTypes are derived. The Axes can be understood as building blocks of our environmental worldview, each representing a particular dimension of how we approach environmental issues. The Themes are the statistical averages of the twelve Axes organized into three categories: Place, Knowledge, and Action. Finally, various combinations of the three Themes are organized into EcoTypes, which represent our environmental framework, or the mindset we use to tackle environmental issues.
In the survey you will position yourself relative to twelve opposing pairs of environmental statements, corresponding to the twelve Axes. You will make each axis selection using a graphical slider that has six steps between the statement on the left and the one at right. There is no middle position, so think hard and make a choice. The wording of many statements is intentionally strong, to suggest differing approaches to environmental issues. There are no right or wrong answers! All of your data will be stored anonymously, so please provide an honest response.
After completing the twelve axis sliders, you’ll choose from a list of Global Priorities.
From your responses along the twelve axes, your customized survey report will include three Theme scores and you will be assigned an EcoType as well as a complementary EcoType. Refer to the Survey Report FAQ for assistance in understanding your survey report.
Download and complete this fillable form as a record of the information from your EcoType survey report. Specifically, you will input your Axes scores, calculate your Theme scores, indicate your Theme signs (+/-/0), and record your EcoType and complementary EcoType.
Submit your completed EcoType Survey Report as instructed by your professor.
- Based on your responses in the EcoTypes Survey, select two images, each reflecting a different aspect of your EcoType. Ideally both images should be original photos you took, but for one of the images you can use a cartoon sketch or an art image you found online. For your photos, identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found image you use, be sure to cite the source of your image.
Prepare a brief write-up for each photo/image in which you discuss why you selected it, and how and what it reflects of your EcoType. You will be submitting these images and the accompanying narratives as part of your lab response.
- Come prepared for a class discussion on EcoTypes and to play the SDG Mosaic Game.
- Answer the questions related to the EcoType Survey and SDG Mosaic Game on the Lab Response form.
Part 2: Evaluating Your Environmental Actions
- Complete the Environmental Action Survey.
The Environmental Action Survey contains a list of 25 statements about ways to be environmentally active. For each statement, select a response that best reflects your level of participation in that particular activity over the past year.
After you have completed all the statements, reflect on your engagement in environmental actions and discuss the reasons for types of actions you engage in versus those that you do not. Also discuss any other environmental actions that you are regularly engaged in that are not listed on this survey.
Submit your completed Environmental Actions Survey as instructed by your professor.
- Based on your responses to the Environmental Action Survey, select two images, each reflecting a different aspect of your environmental actions. Ideally both images should be original photos you took, but for one of the images you can use a cartoon sketch or an art image you found online. For your photos, identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found image you use, be sure to cite the source of your image.
Prepare a brief write-up for each photo/image in which you discuss why you selected it, and how and what it reflects of your environmental action or inaction. You will be submitting these images and the accompanying narratives as part of your lab response.
- Lab response for Part 2 (Evaluating Your Environmental Actions) will vary depending on the Survey Option your instructor assigned In Part 1 (Exploring Your Environmental Worldview).
If you completed Survey Option 1 (Environmental Worldview Survey), then you will include a response to Part 2 (Evaluating Your Environmental Actions) as part of the PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation as described in the Lab Response form.
If you completed Survey Option 2 (EcoTypes Survey), then you will include a response to Part 2 (Evaluating Your Environmental Actions) as part of the questions listed in the Lab Response form.
Part 3: Calculating Your Ecological Footprints
- Explore the ecological footprint concept on the Global Footprint Network website, then use their footprint calculator to calculate your personal ecological footprint. The calculator will lead you through the steps. Where indicated in the calculator, add details to improve the accuracy of your footprint calculation. Read over your general and detailed results; click on the “i” symbols for more information throughout the results.
In the Lab Response Form, record details of your ecological footprint in Tables 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 under the column “Current Footprint.”
- Based on your ecological footprint calculations, select two photos as follows: a photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a high ecological footprint, and a photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a low ecological footprint. Both should be original photos you took. Identify the location and when you took the photo.
Prepare a brief write-up for each photo as follows: For the photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a high ecological footprint, discuss the activity/behavior showcased, explain why the activity/behavior has a high ecological footprint, and propose a solution to reduce the ecological footprint. For the photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a low ecological footprint, discuss the activity/behavior showcased and explain why the activity/behavior has a low ecological footprint. You will be submitting these images and the accompanying narratives as part of your lab response.
- Explore solutions to reduce ecological footprints, then retake the ecological footprint quiz. This time your responses to the quiz should reflect the changes in lifestyle you would be willing to make to reduce your ecological footprint.
Enter your details for your revised, lower footprint under the column “Revised Footprint” in Tables 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 in the Lab Response Form.
- Explore the National Footprint Accounts on the Global Footprint Network website. Click on various nations to explore their ecological footprint. Compare your ecological footprint to the average U.S. footprint and to the footprint of a few other countries.
- To live within the means of Earth’s resources, the world’s per capita ecological footprint would have to equal the available biocapacity per person on our planet. According to the Global Footprint Network, currently the Earth has a total biocapacity of 1.5 gha per person per year, a figure that is obtained by equally dividing the total global biocapacity (12.2 billion hectares) among the total world population (8.1 billion). This then constitutes a “fair share” ecological footprint. Compare your ecological footprint to the fair share ecological footprint.
- On the Earth Overshoot Day website, read the discussion about what Earth Overshoot Day represents. Also check out how Earth Overshoot Day has changed over time, and explore solutions for how we can move Earth Overshoot Day.
- Answer the questions related to Ecological Footprints on the Lab Response form.
References
Earth Overshoot Day. (n.d.). Global Footprint Network. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/
Ecological Footprint Calculator. (n.d.). Global Footprint Network. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en
Ehrlich, PR, Holdren, JP. 1971. Impact of Population Growth. Science. 171 (3977):1212-1217. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1731166
National Footprint Accounts. (n.d.). Open Data Platform. Global Footprint Network. Retrieved April 20, 2025 from https://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/
Proctor, J. 2025. What is Your EcoType? Retrieved from https://ecotypes.us/
Solutions. (n.d.) Global Footprint Network. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/solutions/
Sustainable Development Goals. (n.d.) United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Wackernagel, M. and Rees W. 1996. Our ecological footprint: Reducing human impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers, British Columbia, Canada.
What Biocapacity Measures. (n.d.) Global Footprint Network. Retrieved April 30, 2025 from https://www.footprintnetwork.org/what-biocapacity-measures/
Lab 2 Response: Environmental Worldviews and Ecological Footprints
Download this Lab Response Form as a Microsoft Word document.
Part 1: Exploring Your Environmental Worldview
For Survey Option 1: Environmental Worldview Survey
Build a Slide Presentation
Develop a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation to share what you learned about your environmental worldview and actions from completing the Environmental Worldview Survey and the Environmental Action Survey. Your presentation slides should have sufficient text detail and visual elements to be self-explanatory to the reader, and should include the following elements:
- Title slide (1 slide)
- A summary of your environmental worldview reflecting on all six dimensions of your worldview as per the Environmental Worldview Survey: The summary should describe your worldview along the six dimensions and also reflect on the social conditioning, cultural beliefs, family background, educational experiences, or any other influences that may have shaped your worldview. (2-4 slides)
- A discussion of the two photos/images you selected to reflect different aspects of your environmental worldview: For each photo/image, discuss why you selected that particular photo/image and how and what it reflects about your environmental worldview. For each of your photos, also identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found images you use, be sure to cite the source of your image. (2 slides)
- A summary of your environmental actions as per the Environmental Action Survey: Discuss the types of actions you engage in, as well as those that you do not, and reflect on the reasons why. Also discuss any other environmental actions that you are regularly engaged in that are not listed on the survey. (2-3 slides)
- A discussion of the two photos/images you selected to reflect different aspects of your environmental actions: For each photo/image, discuss why you selected that particular photo/image and what it reflects about your environmental actions. For each of your photos, also identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found images you use, be sure to cite the source of your image. (2 slides)
- A reflection on and discussion of the alignment between your environmental worldview and actions: Reflect on and discuss whether and why (or why not) your environmental actions support or contradict your environmental worldview. (1 slide)
Remember to submit the completed Environmental Worldview Survey and the Environmental Action Survey.
In-Class Discussion or Discussion Board Post
Review your classmates’ presentations. As instructed by your professor, either (1) bring your responses to the questions posted below to class on the day of the discussion, or (2) thoughtfully respond to at least three of your classmates on the discussion board based on the questions below:
- Identify a classmate whose environmental worldview is similar to yours and discuss your commonalities
- Identify a classmate whose environmental worldview is different from yours and discuss how we can learn from these differences to better understand each other
- Identify a classmate whose environmental actions are similar to yours and discuss your commonalities
- Identify a classmate whose environmental actions are different from yours and discuss how we care and act differently
For Survey Option 2: EcoTypes Survey
Questions
- From the EcoTypes survey, reflect on your theme scores for Place, Action, and Knowledge (both Spirituality/Time and Science/Technology) and discuss what your scores for each of the themes suggest about your approach to environmental issues. Refer to the Survey Report FAQ for assistance in understanding your survey report. Do not forget to submit the completed EcoTypes Survey Form.
- Reflect on your overall EcoType and discuss whether or not it is a good match for how you approach environmental issues.
- Reflect on how your EcoType compares to others: Discuss how your EcoType compares to others in your class, to COD students who took this course in other semesters (if the data is available), and/or to all survey respondents. Also discuss, using an example, how you do or would navigate differences with those whose EcoTypes differ from yours (especially someone with your complementary EcoType).
- Discuss the two photos/images you selected to reflect your EcoType: For each photo/image, explain why you selected that particular photo/image and what it reveals about your EcoType. For each photo, also identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found images you use, be sure to cite the source of your image. Do not forget to submit the photos/images.
- What did the SDG Mosaic Game reveal about EcoTypes and Global Priorities (i.e., reflect on the idea that many care, just differently)? Use examples from the game to illustrate your points. Also reflect on the connection between the Global Priorities you selected and your EcoType.
Part 2: Evaluating Your Environmental Actions
- If you completed Survey Option 1 (Environmental Worldview Survey): Your response to Part 2 is included in the slide presentation as described above for Survey Option 1.
- If you completed Survey Option 2 (EcoTypes Survey): Respond to the questions listed below.
Questions
- Summarize your environmental actions as per the Environmental Action Survey: Discuss the types of actions you engage in, as well as those that you do not, and reflect on the reasons why. Also discuss any other environmental actions that you are regularly engaged in that are not listed on the survey. Do not forget to submit the completed Environmental Action Survey.
- Discuss the two photos/images you selected to reflect your environmental actions: For each photo/image, explain why you selected that particular photo/image and what it reveals about your environmental actions. For each photo, also identify the location and when you took the photo. For any found images you use, be sure to cite the source of your image. Do not forget to submit the photos/images.
- Examine the alignment between your environmental actions and your EcoType: Discuss whether and why (or why not) your environmental actions support or contradict your EcoType.
Part 3: Calculating Your Ecological Footprints
Data Tables
| Component | Current Footprint | Revised Footprint |
| Size of ecological footprint (gha) | ||
| Number of Earths if everyone lived like you | ||
| Personal Earth Overshoot Day | ||
| Size of carbon footprint (CO2 emissions in tons/year) | ||
| % of ecological footprint that the carbon footprint represents |
| Component | Current Footprint (gha) | Revised Footprint (gha) |
| Built-up Land | ||
| Forest Products | ||
| Cropland | ||
| Grazing Land | ||
| Fishing Grounds | ||
| Carbon Footprint |
| Component | Current Footprint (gha) | Revised Footprint (gha) |
| Food | ||
| Shelter | ||
| Mobility | ||
| Goods | ||
| Services |
Questions
- Discuss two key takeaways from your current ecological footprint calculation.
- Discuss whether your current ecological footprint supports or contradicts your environmental worldview/EcoType. Explain your thinking. Use specific examples (from the Environmental Worldview or EcoType Survey as well as the footprint calculations) to discuss these footprint–worldview connections.
- What size human population could the Earth support if everyone had your current ecological footprint? Explain how you determined this number and show your calculation.
- Discuss the two photos you selected to reflect your ecological footprint.
- For the photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a high ecological footprint, discuss the activity/behavior showcased, explain why the activity/behavior has a high ecological footprint, and propose a solution to reduce the ecological footprint.
- For the photo that showcases an activity/behavior you engage in that has a low ecological footprint, discuss the activity/behavior showcased and explain why the activity/behavior has a low ecological footprint.
For each photo also identify the location and when you took the photo. Do not forget to submit the photos/images.
- Describe what changes you made when you recalculated your ecological footprint. How does your revised footprint compare to your current footprint? Did you manage to achieve one-planet living? Discuss how you did so, or why you could not. Explain how these changes will affect your standard of living and your quality of life.
- From the National Footprint Accounts: What is the current average per capita ecological footprint of the US? How does your current footprint compare to the average per capita US footprint? How about your revised footprint? How does your current ecological footprint compare to that of people in other countries? Make a few comparisons, referencing the countries of comparison and providing details about their current average per capita ecological footprints. Reflect on your findings.
- What does a fair share ecological footprint represent? How do your current and revised ecological footprints compare to the fair share footprint (1.5 gha)—i.e., how much bigger or smaller are they? Reflect on your findings.
- When was/is Earth Overshoot Day for the most current year and what does it represent? How does your Personal Earth Overshoot Day compare to Earth Overshoot Day? Discuss your findings.
- What does Earth Overshoot Day have to be if we are to live sustainably on this planet? What are some ways that we can move Earth Overshoot Day to become sustainable? Provide two examples and explain how they would impact overshoot—i.e., discuss by how many days that particular action would move the Earth Overshoot date.
