How big is your ecological footprint?

[StellaBlue]

I know most of you have seen this site, but, in honor of Al Gore and of my currently watching Chavez's speech on CSPAN, and his statement (which I repeat to my RW "American-way-of-life" BS relatives all the time) that we are but 5% of the world's population and use about 25% of its resources, I present

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp

The Earth Day Footprint Quiz

The first time I took it, about a year ago, when I had just gotten back from the UK and was living with my parents, I got 17 planets! When I revised it for my UK lifestyle, I got 6 planets.

Today, living my own self-determined lifestyle in Austin, Texas, I got

2.1 planets

.

Wow. I couldn't really improve on this, either. That's the scary part. I suppose I could stop driving altogether, but that's about it. I even live in a reasonably energy-efficient apartment. :shrug:

[Mutley]

1. I suck, apparently.

CATEGORY ACRES
FOOD 5.2
MOBILITY 0.2
SHELTER 6.4
GOODS/SERVICES 5.9
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 18



IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.



IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4 PLANETS.

[Critters2]

2. I think of myself as being pretty careful about such things...

I drive a small car, I belong to a CSA, I'm vegetarian. Yet, I got 7.9 planets!!! Imagine what meat-eating drivers of gas-guzzlers get!!

I think the main problem is that I live alone, drive alone, etc. If the people responsible for this want to help me find a mate, I'm all ears. Until then, I'll be living alone. And using too much land, and too many planets, I guess. :(

[BlueIris]

3. When I took that test in December, I was at 3.8 planets.

But I've made some changes since then, so maybe it would be lower if I checked it out now.

[upi402]

4. the very first question didn't apply to us

fish and some chicken, infrequent dairy.

'diet for a small planet' influenced my life early on.

[mrcheerful]

5. Its not very good as it really doesn't give exact personal questions

it more or less gives you a choice for the answer that fits you closet. Like I drive less then 100 miles a week, but not every week, some weeks I don't move the van. Same with food, I eat packaged foods but only eat once a day or some days not at all, this is based on a person eating 3 or more meals a day. My impact was 3.1 planets.

[Midlodemocrat]

10. Mine, too. Mostly because of the size of our home.

Which doesn't take into consideration that there are six people living here with two home offices. There were seven, but my FIL recently passed away.

[Burma Jones]

6. Wnen Freeps take this test

they learn how many other people they'll have to kill one day in order to maintain our "way of life"
It all depends on your point of view


I got 7 planets......

[upi402]

7. Tried again; 1.3 planets

CATEGORY ACRES
FOOD 2.7
MOBILITY 0.2
SHELTER 1.7
GOODS/SERVICES 1.2
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 6



IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.



IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.3 PLANETS

(but it would be better if it were more exact)

[upi402]

8. I think it must penalize you many acres for MEAT eating

Cattle production does use a lot of land. I shoulda lost more for my car but it gets 36mpg and I don't drive far to work.

[Midlodemocrat]

11. Yes, I agree, but I eat a lot of fish as well,

including farm raised, and it seemed to penalize me the same as if I were woofing down a cow every night.

[Odin2005]

9. 2.6, half the average.

The only bad things is that I love meat and that I'm a poor college student so I'm stuck eating a lot of pre-packaged food. :-(

CATEGORY ACRES

FOOD 5.9

MOBILITY 0

SHELTER 3

GOODS/SERVICES 2.7

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 12



IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.




IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.6 PLANETS.

[flvegan]

12. 3.2 planets

I drive 50 miles a day to the new job, and even at 28 mpg, that kills me.

I kicked ass in the food part...1.7 acres.