Ecological Footprint
(n) the impact of a person or
community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to
sustain their use of natural resources.
Carbon Footprint (n) the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted
due to the consumption of fossil duels by a particular person, group, etc.
One large part of my ecological identity is my ecological
footprint and the lasting effects I have on my ecosystem and the earth as a
whole. I looked at my actions and found the good, bad, and changes I can make
to be a better part of this ecosystem. My highlights of my positive attributes
were paperless billing, buying organic foods, and using biodegradable cleaning
products. I do not receive any paper statements in the mail as I have switched
all my accounts to paperless billing. I buy only organic food only. This year I
started gardening. We had successful crops of cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes,
potatoes, kale, pumpkins, and bell peppers.
My negative attributes were driving a non-fuel-efficient
vehicle, running the faucet when brushing my teeth (bad & stupid habit),
and leaving electronics plugged in when off (vampire power). I drive a Jeep
Cherokee which gets about thirteen miles city, and sixteen to eighteen miles
highway. My commute to work is about seventeen miles one way. Due to where I
live public transportation is not an option. I should consider a fuel-efficient
vehicle to reduce my carbon footprint. A habit I picked up when I was younger
was letting the water run when brushing my teeth, as an adult I still do that. It
is a stupid habit that waste resources and can be fixed easily with focus. I
have been good about turning off lights and other electric devices before I
leave the house, but they are still using power when they are plugged in.
My immediate plans for change include using a coffee
tumbler, reusable grocery bags, and composting. I have an iced coffee addiction,
purchasing one every day and receiving a plastic cup increases the plastic here
on earth. I recently purchased a coffee tumbler and with this reusable cup I
will be able to use the same cup every day. I find myself acquiring plastic
grocery bags and reusing them but by having reusable bags I could eliminate
them from my household completely. I want to start composting, to help
eliminate food waste. I am displeased whenever I must throw away food, by
composting I am able to reduce our food waste and put nutrients back into the
soil.
After looking at my actions I
decided to use an ecological footprint calculator to see the official damage in
numbers. I was shocked when I received my results. If everyone lived like me It
would 3.2 earths to sustain my current lifestyle. My biggest consumption
categories include mobility (1.6 gha), food (1.1 gha), and goods (1 gha). It is
scary to think about how much resources I use as one person. 60% of my
ecological footprint is my carbon footprint. Exploring some solutions would be
limit my transportation usage per month by either taking public transit or
walking, or biking to where I need to be. I could also into renewable energy
for my household. Shopping more locally for food and continuing to eat less
meat and animal based products is another method to reduce my footprint. 
After reviewing my own ecological footprint, I decided to
look at the country I live, United States. Just outside the top five, we land
at number six in the world ranking, leaving our ecological footprint at 8
Global Hectares per Capita (gha/pers).
Find your own Ecological
Footprint HERE: Ecological Footprint Calculator
After reviewing my own ecological footprint, I decided to
look at the country I live, United States. Just outside the top five, we land
at number six in the world ranking, leaving our ecological footprint at 8
Global Hectares per Capita (gha/pers). 
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