How Many Planets Worth Of Natural Capital Do We Require...

Question 1 a) How many planets worth of natural capital do we require for everyone to live like you? According to Appendix A, if every individual had my lifestyle, two planets would have been required for the adequate provision of resources. Surprisingly, to support my needs, an emission of 7.4 tons of carbon dioxide as well as 4.2 global hectares of the Earth’s productive land would be needed. The entailed land compromises of: †¢ 48% of Energy land (i.e. land required to accommodate my carbon emission) †¢ 29.2% of Crop land †¢ 8.9% of Grazing land †¢ 10.5% of Forest land †¢ 0.8% of build up land ( i.e. area covered by infrastructure) †¢ 2.6 % Fishing grounds b) Were you surprised with your results? It is really disappointing to acknowledge†¦show more content†¦These short distances can be covered by walking or use of bikes, which would hugely contribute for gaining a healthier life. (2) Reduce intake of animal products An approximate of 2,464 gallons of water is required to produce one pound of beef as compared to just 25 gallons for the production of one pound of wheat (vegeteriantimes.com, n.d, para.2). As such, a vegan diet requires 300 gallons of water per day in comparison to 4,000 gallons for a meat eating diet (1millionwomen.com.au, 2015). These figures show the excessive water usage for a meat eater’s diet. As a result, it would be wise to consider the idea of slowly becoming a vegan for the future. (3) Use of more energy efficient appliances In Canada, these appliances (see appendix B for examples) would normally have an ENERGY STAR symbol and have been certified by the government. These products are beneficial due to the following reasons: †¢ Use 20-30% less energy than regular models †¢ Reduces greenhouse gas emissions †¢ Enables consumers to save on utility bills (nrcan.gc.ca, 2016) In short, if the aforementioned measures are undertaken, it would considerably reduce the number of planet earth required for my lifestyles by 0.2 in addition to usage of 6.7 tons of CO2 compared to 7.4 tons. Supplementary measures like use of renewable energy (e.g. solar energy) could also be considered. Nevertheless, consumers tend to avoid utilizing some energy efficient solutions (e.g. solar