Environmental Footprint

The Ecological Footprint measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resource it consumes and to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions. The Ecological Footprint was developed by a Canadian professor: Dr. Marcus Wackernagel.

The ideal global number is 1.8 global hectares (gha) per capita. Any country that is producing more than this is using more than its FAIR SHARE of the world’s resources. If everyone lived the lifestyle of the average Canadian we would need 3.5 planets…we only have 1!.

Individual Footprint Your footprint is measured by calculating numbers in the following categories Food Transportation Electrical energy Water Housing Technology

Ten ways to reduce your footprint Purchase re-usable cloth type bags Start a compost heap Don't use the dryer. Turn off your computer! Shorter showers Drive LESS. Start a garden. Buy Locally! As in, utilise the farmers market. Switch to halogen light bulbs.

In other words the solution is easy and difficult at the same time …. All we have to do to reduce our footprint is to… USE LESS of everything and/or ELIMINATE things you don’t need altogether. Remember the first “R” in environmentalism is REDUCE.