I measured my Ecological Footprint!

Ecological Footprint

If the world were an apple, how much would be available to produce the food and resources we need???More?Less?

Cut the apple into quarters and throw out 3/4Oceans make up of the Earth

Of the Left throw out halfHalf is too dry like deserts

Of the 1/8th leftcut it into four.What you have is one 32nd Save one pieceThe rest are areas too steep and rocky to produce food

That 32nd is about 3% of the EarthBut we really only have the skinThat averages 5 feet of dirtIt takes 100 years to make each inch of soilWe are losing and degrading soil all the time

Ecological footprints are not all equalThe ecological footprints of countries vary greatlyThe U.S. footprint is almost 5 times greater than the worlds averageDeveloping countries have much smaller footprints than developed countries

Water Use

Water UseCutting your shower time

Cut back 3 minutes to reduce carbon dioxide by up to 715 lbs each year! Save about 5,500 gallons and $73 in water heating costs.

Cutting back 5 to save1,191 lbs CO2 each year, 9,125 gallons of water and $122 in water heating costsLow Flow Toilets

Turn off while you brush

Measure your faucet flow

Food Use

Food UseEat less meat

Cut your meat consumption by half and save 1600 lbs CO2

Go vegan to save 4,000 lbs CO2 a year!Buy locally grown foods

Start a garden

Choose foods in season

Transportation Use

Transportation UseTake the busEliminate curbside idlingConsider carbon emissions when choosing modeBuy carbon offsetsTravel Smarter

The average vehicle drives about 12,000 miles. At 22mpg it would use 545 gallons of gas and create 10,000 lbs/CO2 per year.

Reduce your car trips and carpool when possible to save gas and emissions.

Shelter Use

Shelter UseHow many rooms do we really need?What resources does my home use?How Big is Your Home?

The average US home in 1950 was 983 sq ft. In 2004 it was 2,349 sq ft, while family sizes have shrunk.(www.realestatemsn.com)

Energy Use

Energy UseLine dry laundryUnplug energy vampiresReplace your most used light bulbs with CFLsBuy Energy Star appliancesWhat is plugged in at your house?

In Connecticut you can choose to have your electricity come from 50% - 100% renewable sources. You can also choose your energy supplier. Visit www.ctcleanenergyoptions.com and www.ctenergyinfo.com for more information.

Clothing Use

Clothing UseDoes it really need to be washed?Choose washables rather than dry cleaningVisit the thrift store!The average American throws out 86 lb. of clothes each year.Whats in your closet?

60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it.

Over its lifetime, a T shirt can account for 9 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions. (Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing)

Stuff!

Stuff!Reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse!Choose LESSJoin the simple life

How much stuff do you have? Home electronics; Computers, televisions, electronic equipment and chargers all use electricity when they are plugged in, even when turned off. By attaching these devices to a power strip and turning it off when not in use, you will save parasitic or vampire power loss the power these items use even when turned off.

For more information about the footprint visit www.ctenergyeducation.com

For topic information, watch www.ctclimatechange.com for upcoming additions