While Turkey’s ecological footprint stands at 2.5 global hectares (gha) per person, the country’s biocapacity to meet this demand is only around 1.3 gha; this indicates that we are consuming our natural resources nearly twice as fast as they can be regenerated. The carbon component, which constitutes approximately 60% of the total footprint, is the primary pressure factor.
The objectives of "Design and Launch Your Sustainability Projects" and "Boost Your Green Skills", which were emphasized during the "Towards sustainable life style" training course I attended in Bulgaria, contribute directly to the social transformation required to close this capacity gap.
I’ve realized that being sustainable starts with the small choices I make every day. By simply buying less, reusing what I already have, and being more careful about recycling, I can really shrink my environmental footprint. Breaking the "buy-use-throw away" habit and focusing on quality instead of quantity makes a huge difference in protecting our planet’s resources.
-Alperen Torun
Environmental education is honestly the best tool we have to build a culture of sustainability among us young people. When we take learning out of the classroom and get closer to nature, we start to form a real, personal bond with the planet. Once we truly get how everything in our ecosystems is connected protecting the environment isn't just a task anymore it becomes a lifelong passion. This is how we all become active parts of building a much greener world together.
-Göksan Çağrı Tunç
During this Erasmus training in Bulgaria, I learned that sustainability is not only about big actions but also about small choices in our daily lives. I gained valuable knowledge about sustainable energy sources and the importance of reducing plastic waste. I also learned about the concept of the ecological footprint and understood how my daily habits impact the environment. By recycling, reusing, and consuming less, I can reduce my ecological footprint and help protect natural resources. This experience made me more aware of my responsibilities towards nature and encouraged me to adopt more environmentally friendly habits in my everyday life.
Kind regards,
-Sudenaz Dağ
The five days I spent in the 'Towards Sustainable Life Style' project were truly enjoyable and educational. In the first days, we played games to calculate both our individual consumption and our country's impact on the world; especially learning about our ecological footprint completely changed my perspective on the environment. Doing short research on waste from parties and sustainability helped me better understand what I can do in my daily life. Besides the training, I had a great time at the cultural night where I made new friends and discovered different cultures. This short period, full of learning and meeting wonderful people, truly added a lot to my life.
-Melis Ceren Buğrul
