Nowadays people are extremely busy with their routines that they do not seem to bother about the environment. They exploit natural resources without giving anything but harm and waste in return. But how can such unethical conduct influence the environment in the long run?
I was curious to know what impact my lifestyle may have on the Earth. For that reason, I have calculated my personal ecological footprint. Surprisingly, the results of the ecological footprint analysis were graver than I expected. According to them, it takes more than 4.5 global hectares to support my lifestyle. To be more precise, I need half of this area for energy production and about 30 % for crops. Food is the biggest area of my resource consumption, which is …show more content…
Judging by the results of my ecological footprint, my lifestyle definitely needs some reconsideration. Practically all the parameters of my new eco-print are twice smaller than those of the previous one.
I suggested some changes to it to make my lifestyle more environmentally favorable. The food comprising the largest area of my footprint, I find it reasonable to pay attention to this category first. I would plant a garden to have organic and in-season food at hand. I would also avoid choosing food with excessive packaging to reduce waste. Adoption of energy and water saving habits would enable me to be eco-friendly and put aside some money at a time. For that purpose, I would use energy-saving fixtures like compact lighting bulbs and insulate my home. I would unplug electrical appliances when not in use, dry clothes on a clothesline and turn off lights when leaving rooms. To save water one would run the washing machine only when full, take cars to a carwash or use waste water recycling system. I would also compost garbage instead of disposing it. Using eco-friendly means of transport like hybrid cars also makes sense. Whenever possible I would try to walk or ride a bicycle instead of using public …show more content…
The ecological footprint enables us to estimate the resource consumption and waste discharge of a given human population in terms of a corresponding productive land area (Wackernagel and Rees 5). Although the results of the analysis are approximate, its remarkable benefit is the universal character, meaning that people across the world can apply it considering the peculiarities of the area they live in. To get an ideal eco-footprint, there must be equally ideal conditions. Some large cities and even states depend on other countries because of natural resource shortage. Eco-footprinting makes it clear that cities can support large populations only by importing the capacities of ecosystems located beyond their political boundaries (Vale and Vale