Footprints
Do you know what an ecological footprint is? It's measured in hectares (or acres, one hectare being equivalent to 2.471 acres), and represents the land area needed to provide the resources for one individual and to absorb the waste and greenhouse gases produced by that same individual. Think of it as the price tag paid by the planet to support one of its citizens.
The world average footpriint is 2.2 hectares per person. The world's biggest footprint is to be found in the U.S.A., at 9.6 hectares, while the world's smallest is currently in Bangladesh, measuring in at a mere 0.5 hectares. Canada, unfortunately, is not far behind the behemoth to our south, at 8.6 hectares per person. We have the world's third largest footprint, coming just after the United Arab Emirates at 8.97 hectares. If you're wondering how heavily your nation's footprint lands on the earth, look up the global ranking here. If you're curious about what the size of your own individual footprint is, you'll find the answer by taking the Ecological Footprint Quiz.
So what are some of the steps people can take to reduce their footprint size? There are several things you can do.You could stop driving to work and either car-pool or take public transit. You could take on the challenge of reducing the greenhouse gases you contribute to the atmosphere. To get tips on how to do that, visit this site. Don't be sidetracked by its "Government of Canada" header. It's got great suggestions for anyone living in the western world.
Another idea is to eat less beef. Nothing to a vegetarian, of course, but if you're a meat-eater, would you be willing to substitute a dinner based on beans once or twice a week? To understand how substituting plant protein occasionally for the beef could make a difference, you need to know that producing one pound of grain-fed beef requires about 16 pounds of wheat and approximately 2,500 gallons of water. In the U.S., more than 70% of the grain grown is fed to livestock, and more than half of their water supply goes to livestock production. Getting one single hamburger patty to the table can use enough fossil fuel to power a car 20 miles or warm enough water for 17 showers. To provide a little contrast to all of that, one hectare taken from the production of fast food burgers and used instead to grow wheat would yield 1660 kg of wheat, which could result in 3,400 loaves of bread baked from that yield.
If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all this, or maybe a little less-than-interested, let me suggest one more angle from which to view this, before you stop reading. Think of all this in terms of the Live8 productions of the weekend. Were those concerts, above all, just more entertainment for the immediate-gratification seekers of privileged nations? Do you think they actually accomplished any of the consciousness-raising they were touted as achieving? Were you there, either in person or by watching televised coverage? Did what you watched serve to inspire you to alter your lifestyle in such a way as to lessen your ecological footprint?
If helping to affect a change for the better in Africa is really high on your agenda, are you going to start thinking globally and acting locally, or are you just going to assuage any possible twinges of guilt by telling yourself that it's all up to the G8 leaders and that there's really nothing you as one individual can do? A gift of money alone is not going to be enough. We all have to climb on board this wagon and get involved. "Saving Africa" should be just one part of our efforts to save the whole world.
The world average footpriint is 2.2 hectares per person. The world's biggest footprint is to be found in the U.S.A., at 9.6 hectares, while the world's smallest is currently in Bangladesh, measuring in at a mere 0.5 hectares. Canada, unfortunately, is not far behind the behemoth to our south, at 8.6 hectares per person. We have the world's third largest footprint, coming just after the United Arab Emirates at 8.97 hectares. If you're wondering how heavily your nation's footprint lands on the earth, look up the global ranking here. If you're curious about what the size of your own individual footprint is, you'll find the answer by taking the Ecological Footprint Quiz.
So what are some of the steps people can take to reduce their footprint size? There are several things you can do.You could stop driving to work and either car-pool or take public transit. You could take on the challenge of reducing the greenhouse gases you contribute to the atmosphere. To get tips on how to do that, visit this site. Don't be sidetracked by its "Government of Canada" header. It's got great suggestions for anyone living in the western world.
Another idea is to eat less beef. Nothing to a vegetarian, of course, but if you're a meat-eater, would you be willing to substitute a dinner based on beans once or twice a week? To understand how substituting plant protein occasionally for the beef could make a difference, you need to know that producing one pound of grain-fed beef requires about 16 pounds of wheat and approximately 2,500 gallons of water. In the U.S., more than 70% of the grain grown is fed to livestock, and more than half of their water supply goes to livestock production. Getting one single hamburger patty to the table can use enough fossil fuel to power a car 20 miles or warm enough water for 17 showers. To provide a little contrast to all of that, one hectare taken from the production of fast food burgers and used instead to grow wheat would yield 1660 kg of wheat, which could result in 3,400 loaves of bread baked from that yield.
If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all this, or maybe a little less-than-interested, let me suggest one more angle from which to view this, before you stop reading. Think of all this in terms of the Live8 productions of the weekend. Were those concerts, above all, just more entertainment for the immediate-gratification seekers of privileged nations? Do you think they actually accomplished any of the consciousness-raising they were touted as achieving? Were you there, either in person or by watching televised coverage? Did what you watched serve to inspire you to alter your lifestyle in such a way as to lessen your ecological footprint?
If helping to affect a change for the better in Africa is really high on your agenda, are you going to start thinking globally and acting locally, or are you just going to assuage any possible twinges of guilt by telling yourself that it's all up to the G8 leaders and that there's really nothing you as one individual can do? A gift of money alone is not going to be enough. We all have to climb on board this wagon and get involved. "Saving Africa" should be just one part of our efforts to save the whole world.
1 Comments:
Very well written post. I came across ecological footprint years ago, but had long since forgotten about it and the statistics. Thanks for the reminder.
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