High school teachers' ecological footprint: The Elazığ case

Since the beginning of human existence, people have lived in close interaction with nature. However, over time, factors such as population growth, industrialization, technological advancements, international competition, and unconscious consumption have increasingly threatened the natural environment. These threats continue to grow and reinforce one another. As a result, issues such as the decline of biodiversity, global warming, acid rain, and the pollution of air, water, and soil have become more severe. Natural resources are being rapidly depleted, unplanned urbanization is expanding, and pressure on ecosystems is intensifying. All of these developments have weakened the balance between humans and nature. The ecological footprint is a method developed to measure the impact of human activities on ecosystems. By revealing the supply-demand relationship concerning natural resources, it provides a scientific basis for recognizing imbalances and developing solutions. Accordingly, efforts to reduce the ecological footprint are becoming increasingly important. Today, rising levels of welfare and the pursuit of economic growth have led to significant changes in resource consumption and human habits. Consequently, people have adopted unsustainable lifestyles that disregard the ecological limits of the planet. This study aims to reveal the impact of teachers living in Elazığ, one of Turkey's prominent cities, on the natural environment through the measurable indicator of ecological footprint. Qualitative research methods were employed, including a literature review and the analysis of relevant video materials. Additionally, a 16-question ecological footprint survey was conducted in three different high schools located in the city center. The data collected were thoroughly analyzed, and the findings were incorporated into the writing phase of the study. The results suggest that, in parallel with changing global conditions, people's perspectives on nature have shifted, leading to an increase in ecological footprint levels in Elazığ. Keywords: Ecological Footprint, Sustainable Development, Recycling, Rapid Population Growth, Environmental Education.