How To Calculate Your Ecological Footprint
According to, well whoever wrote it on Wikipedia, your 'Ecological Footprint' can be described (sharp intake of breath) as follows:
'The phrase "ecological footprint" is a metaphor used to depict the amount of land and water area a human population would hypothetically need to provide the resources required to support itself and to absorb its wastes, given prevailing technology. The term was first coined in 1992 by Canadian ecologist and professor at the University of British Columbia, William Rees'.
and breathe...
'Footprinting is now widely used around the globe as an indicator of environmental sustainability. It can be used to measure and manage the use of resources throughout the economy. It is commonly used to explore the sustainability of individual lifestyles, goods and services, organisations, industry sectors, regions and nations.'
Problem is, it's always been difficult to work out just how large our footprint is. But now, the chaps at the Earth Day Network have come up with a cleverly designed and simple little quiz, which takes three minutes, to help you calculate your 'footprint'.
I'll be honest and admit that mine was alarmingly high. I imagine this has to do with the number of flights that I take every year. However, there's good news; in that there's a useful guide to taking action to reduce your footprint at the end.
It'll take you no time at all. Go on...
In the meantime I'll be out back clubbing some baby seals.
Take The Test
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Comments
hmmm.. I got 22 acres. The average in these parts was 24. But why is the first thing they list to decrease your footprint size "eat less meat"? Is that really the main consumption culprit? I would have thought it would be stuff like car pool, public transport, recycle. The angle seemed somewhat skewed and bizarre.
Posted by: Amber | November 7, 2006 2:05 PM
i agree amber. it's a tad imprecise. it gave miss w tod a rating of about 16.6 and said we'd need nine planets if we all lived like her.
she's swiss for god's sakes. they're so green they're practically hobbits.
Posted by: birdbath | November 8, 2006 12:38 AM
only 3.8 planets for me. considering i spend over 400 hours a year flying, i think thats a load of shite. they;d need 15 jupiter size planets to fit all my 737 exhausts.
Posted by: ro_G | November 8, 2006 2:03 AM
40.5 Hectares of global footprint, or 22.5 planets. and it dosent ask any real questions about work and the consumption of energy involved
Posted by: podge | November 9, 2006 1:50 AM
Interesting quiz that, I scored a lower footprint than I expected but I don't eat any meat ever. I suspect that the meat issue is hight in their questions because it's so wasteful of resources, the amout of food that goes to a cow to produce far less food (if ye follow me) makes it almost criminal.
Now... if I just get rid of my obscenly big and thirsty car they'll have me fitted for a halo.
Posted by: Slaphead | November 11, 2006 1:39 PM
i think ur site is cool. i like how u r communicating casualy and not like some super genius scientist. its easy toundrstand.:)thanks.
Posted by: hailey | December 26, 2007 5:12 PM