RESEARCH

(ASSIGNMENT 1)

ECOLOGICAL FOOTRPINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

BY:
SHREYA SUNIL SHIRSATH
FIRST YEAR M.ARCH
BATCH: 2017-2018

D.Y PATIL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

DR. D.Y PATIL KNOWLEDGE CITY,
CHARHOLI-BK, LOHEGAON, PUNE

SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY

1. What is your area of interest?

Ans: Environmental Architecture.

2. Why am I interested in this particular area?

Ans: Environmental architecture has a vast scope in its field and not only by studying it for

self-betterment of one’s by pursuing a degree or qualification but it’s an ideal way of life

every human being should take responsibility to look at earth as its asset for generation after

generation. Environmental study focuses on various parts of an ecosystem that are useful for

mankind. It’s an eye opener for many facts around the world related to earth and its

ecosystem that we breathe in and out.

3. What skills have I acquired in this area?

Ans: Knowledge about Earth-Sun relationship, climatic zones, Natural Resource

Management, Climate change, Climate Responsive Architecture, environmental laws, etc.

4. Importance of a particular field (Environmental Architecture).

Learning about environmental architecture have focused my understanding more towards

factors affecting environment all around the world and keen interest to know the causes for

the after effects and damages done to the resources and ultimately its environment. This has

led an urge to know our earth and its environment in its past, present and future hazards or

warnings if any due to ill practices carried out by human beings. The up-gradation of our

knowledge is done greatly by newspaper articles which triggers the sensitivity of human

beings around him as regards know the status of the quality environment which he lives in.

The recent study which was carried about ODP and GWP gave an insight about these two

terms i.e. Ecological footprint and carbon footprint, which are directly related to individual

consumption and high pressure on resources which could be the add-on for recent hot topic

climate change.

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT
5. What are your career objectives and long term goals? Will this research project augment

to your long term goals?

Ans: To work around the world in the field of Environmental Architecture is my carrier

objective. To investigate the environmental issues and carry out research to find the

mitigation measures for a particular issue. To create awareness among people by enlighting a

specific issue around people in an area and to initiate an action plan for the same. Certainly

climate change is not a one day phenomena, proper planning and usage of resources wisely,

adopting lifestyle which will have less impact on waste generation and consumption, etc.

should be the task every individual should look at.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

 ECOLOGICAL FOOTRPINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

We are aware of the fact, around the world that the climate is changing. The climate is

changing because of the alterations made by man in and around its environment to meet and

greet his ever rising demands. The competition among the human race has somehow

exploited our natural resources. This ignorance of human behavior towards the environment

is increasing so much so that the climate change is been seen, felt and sighed. It’s already late

to ignore this fact that earth will soon be hostile to live in. Therefore it is essential now to

curtail our demands, educate ourselves with problems being faced today, tomorrow and to

avoid those in future. For sustainability of an environment it is highly important at individual,

society and country level to keep in consideration of the resources utilized and the waste

generation and its effective disposal. Our human activities consume resources and produce

waste. The nature needs to have capacity to meet these demands. It is very essential for every

individual to know that how much pressure we’re putting on our planet for resources and the

amount of carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a

particular individual, organization, or community.

This can be measured by an ecological footprint that every individual has on an

environment. Ecological footprint is the measure of human demand on nature or the quantity

of nature it requires to support an individual or economy. Ecological footprint is measured in

terms of land requirement in hectares to meet the resources used by any activity it is

abbreviated by GHA. Once the ecological footprint is available we can contrast it against

‘Bio-capacity’ which is the amount of resources available to people at a specific moment in

time to specific population. Ecological footprint accounts for not only generating but

reabsorbing the waste too. Looking at the population and its demands we would

approximately require probably 3 like earth’s to sustain.

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT
 Another factor of vital importance for climate change which has to be brought to

human cognizance is the amount of carbon generated by use or production any commodity.

Like ecological footprint every individual has his carbon footprint. Many of our daily

activities - such as using electricity, driving a car, or disposing of waste - cause greenhouse

gas emissions. Together these emissions make up a household's carbon footprint.

The calculator estimates your footprint in three areas: home energy, transportation and waste.

A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly

by a person, organization, event or product. The potency of greenhouse gases is measured by

Global Warming Potential (GWP). Global warming potential (GWP) is a relative measure of

how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere. It compares the amount of heat

trapped by a certain mass of the gas to the amount of heat trapped by a similar mass of carbon

dioxide. For example, the GWP of carbon dioxide is 1 and GWP of methane is 34. This

means that in terms of global warming one kg of methane released in the atmosphere is equal

to 34 kg of carbon dioxide. This brings us to know about the emission factor of various gases

in the atmosphere. As ecological footprint carbon footprint can be calculated for an

individual, a household, an organization or even for a region as long as the system boundaries

are defined. There are various online tools and software’s for CO2 emission accountancy that

determine the carbon footprint. Emissions are categorized as direct and indirect. For instance

if emissions are to be worked out for a person who drives a taxi, direct emissions will be the

one that will be result of burning fuel in car engine. Indirect emissions will be the emissions

that were released in making the taxi, extracting the fuel, refining the fuel, transporting, etc.

Carbon footprint is one of the many environmental footprint including water, land and

ecological footprint that has come to prominence because of its connection to global

warming. Once carbon footprint for any organization is known steps can be taken by focusing

on larger sources or by focusing on emission hotspots.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

 The two environmental factors discussed here highlights the awareness one has to

consciously adopt to reduce the pressure on resources and its after effects that will not only

lead to depletion or extinction of resources but will also shoot for prolonged health hazards

and human incompatibility environment issues. Adoptions of few practices like choose

products that have been sustainably sourced. Avoid expansion of agricultural land in forests.

Since forests have 60 percent of biodiversity which get lost due to these practices to meet the

high demand of food production. Efficient travelling that is use of public transport, car pool,

walking, cycling, etc. Participate in an earth hour where millions of people participate by

switching off their lights from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Cut down on meat. Build energy

efficient houses or retrofit them. These are some of the measures one can take to lower their

ecological and carbon footprint by assessing day to day lifestyle pressure that our

environment is been subjected to. This helps us in managing and rectifying our ecological

assets more wisely.

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND CARBON FOOTPRINT