ecofootprint
CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES
FOOD 1.5
MOBILITY 1.5
SHELTER 0.4
GOODS/SERVICES 1.5
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 4.9
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.7 PLANETS.
Take the ecological footprint quiz.
Their suggestions for a smaller footprint:
"Eat less meat: A plant-based diet generally requires less land, energy, and other resources. Crop-based food requires an average of 0.78 global hectares per ton of food, compared to 2.1 global hectares required to produce one ton of animal-based food."
I don't eat much meat, but I eat dairy.
"Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle and reduce the amount that you drive-walk, cycle, carpool, or use public transportation instead."
I don't drive. I use public transit, walk or bike. But, I fly a lot, which seems to counteract this in the results.
"Avoid purchasing disposable items with lots of packaging. Re-use items when possible, and always recycle items that are recyclable."
I'm into repurposing.
"Compost kitchen waste: Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases (a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill."
We all do this.
"Plant native and drought-tolerant plants in dry regions to reduce water use."
Not so pertinent for apartment dwellers.
"Be a conscientious consumer-learn about sustainability-friendly products"
OK.
Interesting. I played with the quiz to see what set of variables would let me get my footprint down to my "fair share" such that if every one lived like me we would need a single planet. I could do this by giving up public transit in favour of my bicycle, and giving up flying. So, I figure, while there is room for improvement, that's not too bad. After all, public transit runs whether I use it or not (something the simple quiz does not take into account). I fly almost exclusively for my job, which centers on locating alternate energy sources and assessing geohazard. But the point is I'm educated and engaged in trying to be sensitive to these issues and I, like most Westerners, am undoubtedly using more than my fair share of our planet's resources.
FOOD 1.5
MOBILITY 1.5
SHELTER 0.4
GOODS/SERVICES 1.5
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 4.9
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.7 PLANETS.
Take the ecological footprint quiz.
Their suggestions for a smaller footprint:
"Eat less meat: A plant-based diet generally requires less land, energy, and other resources. Crop-based food requires an average of 0.78 global hectares per ton of food, compared to 2.1 global hectares required to produce one ton of animal-based food."
I don't eat much meat, but I eat dairy.
"Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle and reduce the amount that you drive-walk, cycle, carpool, or use public transportation instead."
I don't drive. I use public transit, walk or bike. But, I fly a lot, which seems to counteract this in the results.
"Avoid purchasing disposable items with lots of packaging. Re-use items when possible, and always recycle items that are recyclable."
I'm into repurposing.
"Compost kitchen waste: Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases (a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill."
We all do this.
"Plant native and drought-tolerant plants in dry regions to reduce water use."
Not so pertinent for apartment dwellers.
"Be a conscientious consumer-learn about sustainability-friendly products"
OK.
Interesting. I played with the quiz to see what set of variables would let me get my footprint down to my "fair share" such that if every one lived like me we would need a single planet. I could do this by giving up public transit in favour of my bicycle, and giving up flying. So, I figure, while there is room for improvement, that's not too bad. After all, public transit runs whether I use it or not (something the simple quiz does not take into account). I fly almost exclusively for my job, which centers on locating alternate energy sources and assessing geohazard. But the point is I'm educated and engaged in trying to be sensitive to these issues and I, like most Westerners, am undoubtedly using more than my fair share of our planet's resources.