What is an ecological footprint?
In a nutshell, it’s the amount of land and natural resources that is needed to sustain you, your lifestyle, and getting rid of your waste.
The term “ecological footprint” was created by a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in 1994.
How is it calculated?
Your ecological footprint is calculated by determining how much land would be needed to generate and dispose of what you consume. You can use a variety of online sites to calculate your ecological footprint (see sidebar). Your transportation choices, your source of food, whether you recycle or not, and your energy consumption all contribute to calculating your ecological footprint. In many ways, it’s almost identical to calculating your greenhouse gas emissions with carbon calculators, except the results are in given in area units. In the end, you’re given a score of how big your footprint is.
What does it mean?
The larger your environmental footprint, the more land you use. You can use the information to reduce your impact by lowering your emissions, recycling your waste, and ultimately, end up with a smaller footprint.
When you calculate your ecological footprint using an online tool, typically, these sites provide tips to help you to lower your score, such as choosing to walk instead of drive, buying your food locally, or making sure that you unplug electronics before leaving the house. For simple ideas for how to reduce your footprint, check out the 1 Thing campaign, and let us know what you’re doing!
How can I use this knowledge?
The first step in making more environmental choices that are sustainable is to understand where you are starting from in terms of your current lifestyle choices. Calculating your ecological footprint is a good place to start for environmental awareness and action. The number is not as important as the lifestyle choices that it can inspire you to make.
Tags: calculator, E-Xplainer, ecological footprint
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On Wednesday the 15th of July, 2009 at 1:29 pm, Bob Knob said:
On Monday the 17th of August, 2009 at 4:22 pm, Marco said:
Anytime you take a plane, you are having a big ecological imprint on the earth. Make sure you offset your carbon print!!!
On Monday the 17th of August, 2009 at 4:26 pm, makjskfj said:
I like pancakes
On Saturday the 12th of September, 2009 at 1:35 pm, Robert Stanley Richardson said:
It would be so simple with some minor lifestyle changes, to make a huge difference in our footprint on this earth. However with the pressures to maintain our individual presence in society as it is now, it is very difficult to make these changes. There needs to be a different preception of what constitutes good citizenship in order to make serious gains in reducing our individual impact on the environment. I’m open to ideas on this concept.
On Wednesday the 23rd of December, 2009 at 3:12 pm, Mike said:
Anytime you take a plane, you are having a big ecological imprint on the earth. Make sure you offset your carbon print!!! dehydration symptoms
Wikipedia article on Ecological Footprint Analysis
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum: Ecological Footprints
Mountain Equipment Co-op: Ecological Footprint Calculator
Waste Reduction Week Canada (October 19-25, 2008)
WOO!!!!!!!!!1111