GSCI 1024 Assessment 1: Worth 10% Due: Week 4
Objectives:
- Determine if your current lifestyle is sustainable by calculating your ecological footprint (EF).
- Reflect on what are some of the demands of your current lifestyle on the planet and what worldview, values does your lifestyle represent. (a) What does your overall EF suggest about the sustainability of your current lifestyle, given that we live on a single planet. (b) What worldview and, or values does your lifestyle represent? Briefly justify your answer. (c) Compare and contrast the impact of specific consumption categories (shelter, mobility, food, etc.) on your EF. Justify the proportional contribution of these categories to your EF by using specific examples of your lifestyle choices.
- Can your lifestyle become more sustainable and why are individual actions necessary to ensure sustainability?
(a) Describe 2 lifestyle changes to reduce your EF and become more sustainable. Indicate (quantitative) reductions that these changes would lead to, by using external sources of evidence as supporting information. (The evidence should be derived from peer-reviewed articles, books, educational or insitutional websites; no wikis or enyclopiedias).
i) Use APA formatting for in-text citations and reference list of sources used. A useful link for APA formatting is available here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/
(b) Evaluate feasibility and potential challenges associated with implementation of the suggested changes.
(c) Given the “Tragedy of the commons” concept and definition of sustainability, reflect on why it is important for you and other individuals to implement lifestyle changes.
Instructions: Use the Ecological Footprint Calculator at:
http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ and select Ontario as your location to calculate your OWN Footprint.
Make sure to save your quiz results (as an image or print the results to submit with your assignment). Keep track of your answers for each consumption category (food, goods, home (both shelter and electricity) and transportation). This information will help you evaluate your resulting ecological footprint and its breakdown for each consumption category.
You will submit the following to the instructor:
• A print out (or if submitting an electronic version of the assignment) a ‘screen grab” of the results sheet from the Footprint Quiz (Objective 1). Please note, this section is pass and fail; it is worth 4 points, if personal quiz results are included with the assignment.
• Include a personal reflection on your EF (Objectives 2 and 3). The reflection should be written in your own words, in paragraphs. This section of the assignment should not exceed 3 pages in length (750 words, double-spaced and sided, using a 12 point font,).
• Please see reverse for a detailed grading scheme.
Reference list
Global Footprint Network (2014). Glossary. Retrieved from: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/glossary/#biologicallyproductivelandandwater
Criteria Exceeds expectations Meets expectations Below expectations
Objective # 1 4
Personal EF Quiz results are provided with the assignment 0
Personal EF Quiz results are not included
Objective # 2 10-7
In an insightful way discusses the sustainability of the current lifestyle and what worldview and, or values the lifestyle represents. In an insighful way compares and contrasts the contribution of the consumption categories to the overall EF and supports the evaluation with highly specific and relevant examples of lifestyle choices. 7-6
Discusses the sustainability of the current lifestyle and the worldview and, or values that the lifestyle represents. Compares and contrasts the contributions of consumption categoires to the overall EF. Supports the evaluation by using some (or somewhat) relevant and (or somewhat) specific examples of daily lifestyle choices to illustrate the impact. 5-0
Lacks the discussion, or minimally evaluates whether the current lifestyle is sustainable and, or what worldview and, or values the current lifestyle represents. Minimally, or not at all compares and contrasts the consumption categories. Uses no, or few, or irrelevant, or vague examples of lifestyle choices to illustrate the results of personal EF.
Objective # 3 10-8
Suggests 2 creative and feasible solutions to reduce personal EF. Provides highly relevant and specific quantitative information of the reduction in personal impact that these changes would lead to. Uses >2 external sources that provide evidence of support for those changes. Clearly justifies the feasibility of personal changes and critically evaluates potential challenges that these solutions may present. In an insightful way reflects on the need of individual actions in reference to the tragedy of the commons. 7-6
Suggests 2 feasible solutions to reduce personal EF. Quantitative information is provided to identify the magnitude of reduced impact of the implemented changes, and is supported by evidence from (1-2) external sources. Provides good justification of the feasibility of suggested changes and evaluates challenges that these solutions may present. Reflects on the need of individual actions in reference to the tragedy of the commons.
5-0
Suggests a single, an irrelevant, or no solution to reduce personal EF. Does not provide, or provides minimal or irrelevant, quantitive information that would result from implemented changes. No external sources are used to support the quantitative reduction information. Minimally, or not at all evaluates the feasibility and challenges that these solutions may present. Minimally, or not at all reflects on the need of individual actions in reference to the tragedy of the commons.
References 2
In-text citations and reference list are formatted according to APA with no errors. 1
In-text citations and reference list are formatted according to APA with few errors. 0.5-0
In-text citations and/or reference list is either missing or have multiple errors.
Total = /26
GSCI-1024 Assessment # 1 : Worth: 10% Due: Week 4
Deductions: Cohesion, style, spelling, grammar
-1 Paper inconsistently organized but attempts to guide reader through arguments; scope of the paper may be too broad or narrow within the length. Some grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors (appears not to have been proof read).
-2 Paper is disorganized and lacks coherent structure; scope of paper is unclear: significantly outside of the requirements. Grammar, punctuation, or spelling interfere with readability.
Comments:
Sample Solution