Author

Meredith Todd

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Brain, David

Area of Concentration

International Studies

Abstract

With the challenges to development presented by the increasing causes and effects of climate change, an important piece to focus on it allowing all people to join the conversation and create a community to solve it. Where the idea of carbon emissions makes limited sense to average people and cannot convey a responsibility to act, carbon footprint measurement can overcome that obstacle and convey the impact of individual habits by distributing carbon emissions on a per capita scale. By comparing the carbon footprints of ecovillages, intentional-ecological communities, to national and global carbon footprints, it is possible to communicate a level of agency individuals and communities can have in eliminating climate change in the future. The footprint results of selected ecovillages in Costa Rica and South Africa, added to footprints of other ecological communities measured suggest that ecologically-mindful community is an example of how to harness a shared concern for the uncertain future by joining together in care of the earth – the home we all have in common.

Share

COinS