Ecological footprints are something I hadn't really thought about before this activity. It is scary to think that with our selfish lifestyles, we use resources 1.3 times faster than Earth can regenerate them, and this number is doomed to get worse. "According to Redefining Progress’ latest Footprint Analysis, humanity is exceeding its ecological limits by 39%." I found this progress website to be interesting not only in the fact that we can calculate our own biological footprint, but it shows how to interpret results and how individuals and communities can take action to reduce their ecological footprints and inspire others. We were asked to take quizzes and track our own ecological footprint. One website in which I took a quiz was at Earthday.net, my results were much worse than I had expected. Apparently we would need 4 planets if everyone lived like I do; this was a shock to me because I do recycle on occasion and don't feel like I use that much waste, but like I said, this was an eye opener! After seeing this, I looked at even simple everyday changes I can make by exploring other scenarios. For example, I can reduce the amounts of animal products I use, try avoiding products that use unnecessary packaging, and bring my own grocery bag when going to the supermarket.
My results were a lot like yours, and that is so scary to me because I am conscious about what I'm doing. There is definitely no balance on this issue because I am somewhat aware (I like to think.) But out of every single person I know I like to put myself in the top 10 of being environmentally friendly. So what would a lot of my friends and families results be, and what would there reactions be?
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Pam! I mean, it seems like I have a lot of people in my life who get really passionate about one aspect of being eco-friendly like recycling, but then don't think of anything else like how much they're driving for example. Not to say that being environmentally conscious is an all or nothing affair, but there is just so much to take into consideration. It's overwhelming!
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