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How to Calculate Ecological Footprints

Everyone’s heard of carbon footprints maybe you’ve even calculated yours. But carbon emissions are just one piece of the puzzle that we need to solve to reduce our impact on the planet. The new term “ecological footprint” (EF) addresses energy use as well as food,
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citizens against humanity, and reducing, your personal environmental impact. Don’t let fear or embarrassment hold you back you can keep your results to yourself. What matters is that you take that first step.

Look at your personal energy use. This includes energy used for such things as transportation, heating and cooling, cooking, running appliances, TVs and computers. Be sure to include all forms, such as electricity, natural gas, propane, gasoline or diesel. Include both home and work in your assessment. Do you walk, ride your bike or take public transportation whenever you can? Combine car trips to maximize efficiency? Drive a hybrid or other fuel efficient car, and keep the tires properly inflated? In your home, do you use energy sparingly? Is your home (including windows and doors) adequately insulated? Are your appliances energy efficient? What about your thermostat settings?

Weigh your diet. What you eat has environmental impact too, much of it hidden in so called “downstream costs.” Do you eat meat? How often? Meat exacts a heavy toll on the planet. Raising livestock requires large amounts of grain, hormones and antibiotics, it often involves cruel treatment of animals, and it creates vast quantities of waste that may not be handled properly, polluting land, air and water. Ranching requires large amounts of land, driving deforestation. Many fisheries are imperiled by over fishing; do you know which fish are threatened and avoid eating them? Non organic grain, fruits and vegetables require fertilizers and pesticides that pollute the ecosystem and may be toxic or carcinogenic. Do you buy organic produce when possible? Buy from local growers or farmers markets?

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