Assess your ecological footprint on Earth Day

April 22, 2010

It is 40 years today since Earth Day was launched by US Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970.

Senator Nelson launched Earth Day as a way to secure a healthy and sustainable environment for the global community. According to the Earth Day website the movement is “founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment”.

In the past 40 years, the world’s environmental challenges have only increased, with the issues of accelerated climate change, conservation and biodiversity, energy, recycling, waste reduction and food security becoming all the more pertinent. At Maropeng we have joined the global movement to make a contribution to addressing these issues.

A large portion of our permanent exhibition is dedicated to assessing the impact that the world’s population is having on the environment. The exhibition is also a platform to highlight how we can do our bit to address these issues. Pay us a visit and learn more about the environmental issues that face the world.

Maropeng also celebrated National Water Week (March 15 to 21, 2010), which aims to increase public awareness of the importance of water, one of South Africa’s most limited natural resources.

Maropeng supports this initiative; we aim to use water responsibly in everything we do.

In March this year, the Maropeng staff spent two weekends with a team of 30 gardeners removing noxious pompom weeds (Campuloclinium macrocephalum), also known as the “pink plague”, from the Maropeng property and surrounding roadside verges, to reduce the amount of water consumed by this exotic plant.

In addition to these water conservation efforts, we are also committed to educating the public about how their behaviours and lifestyle affect the environment.

Read our Maropeng Online Exhibition Guide on the ecological footprint of the average South African and learn how humans place pressure on the environment through modern lifestyles. We even have a quick quiz for you to assess your own ecological footprint and some handy tips on how to reduce it.

 

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