27/02/15 20:59

YEAR 10 SCIENCE ASSESSMENT TASK
– RESEARCH AND INFORMATION
PRESENTATION SKILLS

Essay Topic:
“In your opinion, what scientific research undertaken in Australia in the past
10 years will have the greatest benefit for society and/or the environment?”
Justify your choice.

Siddh Rawal 10 Mu

Essay Research Topic: “Consuming Australia – the high price our environment is paying for our spending”

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Introduction
Research has shown that because of their levels of consumption, the residents of Australia’s most prosperous inner-city suburbs omit greenhouse gases in quantities of almost double compared to those households of less-affluence. The Integrated Sustainability Association (ISA) of the University of Sydney have formulated a team of researchers who’ve delved into the ways consumerism and excessive consumption of products affects the economy, the environment and the individual person. This research was conducted in every capital city of Australia.
What is the Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint is a comprehensive calculation tool developed to estimate the bioproductive area
(land and sea) required to grow resources for human consumers in need for sustenance. This also reveals the amount of exposure of carbon dioxide in bioproductive areas.
Reasons For Importance
This research, committed to studying how consumerism affects ‘our’ environment, is extremely significant in providing the Average Australian a factual insight into how their consumption quantities contributes to their Eco-Footprint. The human Eco Footprint is a measurement of the human’s anthropogenic impact on the Earth. The ISA achieves this through the creation of the Consumption Atlas.
Based on research by ISA, and assistance from the Sustainable Strategies Unit in the ACF (Australian
Conservation Foundation), the Consumption Atlas factorises the typical purchasing habits of each suburb

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in order to calculate the impact that these regions have ion the environment. This is then factorised into three sectors: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Water Use and Land Disturbance. “The environment is a fundamental aspect of the future, without a sustainable eco-friendly environment, humans won’t be able to maintain the prospect of a healthy future”(Chuck Berger-ACF), This research is extremely significant in raising awareness about how detrimental the ‘average’ day could be in relation to the growing ecological footprint of the public.
How Can Focusing on the Ecological Footprint Contribute to Environmental Sustainabilty?
Helping frame and inform sustainability decisions is achieved through the analysis of the regions ecological footprint. By doing this, humans are provided with a better understanding of limitations for locally made resources. “When the regions resources are utilised efficiently to gain maximum benfit for social, economic and environmental systems, the contraction of their Ecological Footprint will come to play” (NSW Environmental Protection Agency). Analysis of Ecological footprints also helps sort and summarise a convoluted array of environmental indicators into indivual or consice values. This process is ultimately used for for easier decision making for authorities
Biography(s) of Scientist(s) Involved
Dr. Karl Föger(19 October 1948) born in Stams in Austria. He started his education of by attending primary school in Stams followed by high school in
Innsbruck. He was a student of chemistry enroled to the Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck from

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1968 to 1975 finally completing his studies with a PhD in Bio Chemistry(1975). Föger came to Australia in 1975, initially starting off with a 3-year contract with CSIRO.
Norman John Perry Thomson (8th May 1931) was born in Towoomba,
Queensland. The death of his father while still at a young age was detrimental to
Thomson’s life afterwards. He went ot East State Primary School followed by a year at Toowoomba Grammar