How Individuals Can Reduce Their Impact On the
Earth
(Soon to be a pdf - 11/07)
By Portia Sinnott, Executive Director,
LITE Initiatives and
Eco-Educator, EcoRing Russian River Economic and Environmental
Revitalization Project
November 2004
- published in Women's Voices and elsewhere. UK
version available on request
The Ecological
Footprint Quiz is a tool for calculating your impact on the Earth.
It asks 14
simple questions about you and your lifestyle –
your age and gender, where you live, what you eat, how much you waste,
your energy use and how you get about. At the end it calculates how many
acres of food and goods you need per year to maintain your lifestyle.
I
recently took the quiz at www.myfootprint.org. In 5 minutes I determined
that my Ecological Footprint is 9 acres, and if everyone lived like I do
we would need 1.9 planets. The US average is 24 acres.
Given we only have one
earth, neither of these lifestyles are sustainable. What can we do? The
answer is to start integrating sustainable practices into our lifestyles
and that of the average American.
Start simple.
Using the list at right, check off the techniques you already practice,
draw a line through impossible ones and circle a few you would like to
take on. Once you integrate the new ones, check them off and select a new
one when you feel ready. It is okay if you occasionally get sidetracked -
like driving to the movies when you could walk or buying some expensive
imported item. What is important is that you get in the sustainable habit
- not that you are 100% on everything all of the time.
These
prescriptions may sound simple but they are not easy - especially for
those of us with busy active lives. The secret is setting a clear
intention, coming up with a good plan and sticking with it for 14 days.
Here are a few examples that hung me up for years - salad dressings and
bag reuse. I prefer homemade salad dressing but found the idea of making
them a bit daunting. When I finally blocked out some time, I found them
easy to make and well worth the effort. The same thing was true with
eliminating that irritating pile of bags next to the refrigerator. I set
my intention, came up with a simple plan, and stuck with it: Right after
unpacking the groceries, I hang my canvas bags on a doorknob. The next
time I go out I put them in the car or bike bag so that they are always
there when I need them. This habit has become second nature and I don’t
even think about it except when I occasionally rush out and end up at the
store without them.
Every
dollar is a vote. Why am I
talking about dressings and paper bags when we are confronted daily with
much bigger problems? Everybody has to start somewhere, and simple,
straightforward practices - like preparing our own food, reusing bags and
driving less, help us address complicated challenges like unwanted food
additives, resource shortages, landfill closures and air pollution. The
choices individuals make day-to-day really matter, and the sooner we
shrink our individual footprints the better it will be for the earth and
us.
Please take advantage of the adjacent
checklist and visit the
Ecological Footprint website at www.myfootprint.org.
To find out more about LITE Initiatives - please visit www.car-lite.org or contact us at LITE@sonic.net or 707 579-5811.
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How To Shrink
Your
Your
Ecological Footprint
LITE Checklist
I
Check those items you already practice.
Draw a line through the impossible and circle a few you are willing to
take on. Set a goal and go for it!
Visit list again in a few weeks.
TRANSPORTATION
q
Drive
less and fly less
q Walk
and bike safely
q Carpool
- it’s fun
q Plan
meals and trips; clump errands
q Take
transit when possible
q Work at home or close to home
q Keep
your vehicle well maintained and
q Tires
properly inflated
q Select safe efficient cars
q Rent other vehicles when
needed
q Vacation
close to home
ENERGY AND WATER
q Get
a good sweater
q Keep
the heat on low
q Close
the door - don’t let the heat out
q Use
energy efficient appliances and light bulbs
q Turn
lights off when not in use
q Minimize
opening the refrigerator
q Wash
clothing with cold water
q Dry
clothing on a rack or clothes line
q
Conserve water
q Plant
year round gardens
q Select
native and drought resistant plants
q
Use mulch and compost
FOOD
q Eat
fresh, locally grown food
q Choose
organic whenever possible
q Make
your own dressings, sauces and condiments
q Keep
animal products to a minimum
q Enjoy
natural snacks
q Avoid
empty calories
q Share
meals w/ neighbors & friends
WASTE
q Buy
less and consume less
q Choose
locally made goods
q Use
non-toxic products
q Reduce,
reuse, recycle and share
q Compost;
try worms!
q Reuse
bags, containers and paper
q Carry
a cup and refill water bottles
q Buy
in bulk; avoid packaging
q Try
refillables; avoid disposables
q Visit
the Library for books and videos and
q Rental
businesses for party equip. and power tools.
Copyright
Car-Lite November 2004
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