While completing the ecological footprint quiz, I wasn't really expecting to have a big or small footprint. Just average. I'd already taken a ecological footprint quiz for grade 9 geography, and I wasn't surprised at all about my result.

According to the quiz, the footprint I leave on Earth is 6 global hectares. In comparison to the average ecological footprint in Canada, I feel a little better about myself to have a less than average footprint (the average is 8.8 global hectares per person). When I think of it this way, it definitely makes me feel less guilty about having a footprint of 6, because I think of other people who have an even bigger one (ignorance is bliss!). However, if I compare it with the worldwide amount, I realize that the lifestyle I have is worsening the earth’s situation in the littlest ways. In the quiz, I had so many global hectares added to my footprint simply because of the food I eat, and often I don’t even pay attention to where my food comes from. Just like my home, I do not decide on this.

If I could change anything about the way I lessen my impact, I’d change the food situation. Apparently my foot print is so big due to the way I get my food. I’d also walk more, and get a smaller house.

Although the quiz makes people aware of their impact on the earth, I don’t think that the website is all that helpful in bringing about change for the future. I’m sorry to say that I believe the majority of people (like myself) are eventually going to forget about the results we received on the website, and keep on living the way we live. Most people are at a “comfort zone” and do not want to change anything and get their hands dirty. With the way our society here is today, it’s hard to be environmentally friendly without giving up what everyone wants. For example, if someone decided to start planting ALL of their food, it is not likely that many others will, and there are so many other factors to consider. If we want a change for our future, we will need a dramatic one – something that likely will not happen.

Sorry to be a pessimistic, but only a small handful of people of the people who say they will help change things for the better actually end up doing something. Talk is definitely cheap.

Posted by steph at 4:31 PM | 2 decided to bake me a pie.
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Steph loves pie, her friends, procrastinating (she's actually working on that right now), and of course, YOU!

She doesn't really know what she wants to do with her life though.

Regardless, she enjoys activities such as baking, reading, drawing, rambling, eating, daydreaming, spazzing, writing... ...and she despises math.

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