What is an environmental footprint?

Everything we do affects the environment around us, creating an environmental footprint that tells a great deal about us as individuals and as a society. As the world's population increases, humans are encroaching upon wilderness areas and destroying habitats at an alarming rate. As a result, we are reducing biodiversity, causing the extinction of many plants and animals, and ultimately threatening our own survival. But there are ways that you can assess and reduce the negative impact that your normal daily routine can have on the environment. Below are some tools to help you determine how much of an impact your lifestyle is having on the natural world around you, and how to reduce that impact.

How are YOU impacting the environment?

There is no way to entirely eliminate the effect human beings have on the environment. But armed with the knowledge of how our everyday activities affect the world around us, we can strive to pollute less and lower our energy use. Here are two different ways to measure YOUR impact, and learn how you can reduce it!

A word about carbon...

Carbon is a natural part of every known life form on Earth, and it is one of the most common elements on our planet. By itself, carbon is not a bad thing. But humans affect the balance of the world's atmospheric gasses every day by how we live, travel, and choose to consume. Today, our actions are releasing carbon in the form of CO2 at an alarming rate, leading to global warming.

Carbon travels in cycles. When we burn or destroy solid carbon-containing substances, whether by fuel ignition (gas-powered engines, energy from coal, natural gas, and even wood fires) or artificially accelerated decay (burning forests to create pasture for beef cattle), we speed up the rate at which solid carbon becomes gas. Conservation of fossil fuels and natural resources is one way to cut down on the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere, but how do we take the CO2 that is already there and restore it to a solid form? The answer is simple. Plant a tree.

Trees are carbon sinks. They absorb and process carbon much like people breathe oxygen. Through photosynthesis, some of that carbon is converted to solid form and stays that way until the tree dies. By saving existing trees, and by planting more native trees in places where they can thrive, we can positively affect the atmosphere and increase biodiversity.

Know your impact on the Earth!

Carbon Calculator:

This carbon calculator from SafeClimate.net determines your impact on the climate via carbon emissions. It uses your transportation and electrical habits to determine specifically what your carbon footprint is, and graphs out your usage in an easy-to-read pie chart — as well as an accessible graphic emissions representation. Calculate YOUR carbon footprint.

Calculate Your Footprint:

This footprint calculator takes into account where you live, how you travel, and what you eat, and it tells you how big your environmental footprint is. What if everyone shared your lifestyle? How many planets would we need to sustain all of us? This calculator suggests answers to these questions, and more. Calculate YOUR ecological footprint.

Want to change your footprint?

Here are a few simple tips and tricks you can use to lessen your environmental impact!

• Plant a tree:  Trees store and convert CO2 into Oxygen.
• Transportation: Use alternative transportation whenever possible, especially for your daily commute! Bikes, public transit, and carpools are great ways to commute. If you must drive, choose a fuel-efficient car, and try not to speed. Fuel economy decreases rapidly at 60 mph and over. Also, make sure your tires are inflated to recommended levels, since proper tire inflation increases the lifespan of your tires, saves fuel, lowers emissions, and saves lives.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost: Reusing packaging material saves more energy than recycling. By avoiding extra packaging, you save both energy and landfill space. Yard and kitchen waste (leaves/grass/vegetable scraps) make up 30% of trash—an amount you can significantly reduce by composting. Also be sure to re-use plastic bags, or better yet, use and re-use a canvas grocery bag instead.
• Conserve water: Global temperatures are on the rise, and water is becoming a very precious commodity. Check your home regularly for leaks, and don't let faucets run. Water your lawn only when necessary, and then schedule it in the late evening or early morning—if you water at midday, most of the water evaporates and does your grass no good. Take shorter showers, run the washing machine and dishwasher only when full, or better still, wash your dishes by hand. You can even use the leftover rinsing water to water your plants! Let grass grow longer, and plant native or drought-tolerant garden plants.
• Reduce your everyday energy consumption: Lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. Wearing a sweater in the winter and short sleeves in the summer saves energy and reduces pollution. Replace old thermostats with efficient programmable models, and keep your windows and doors up-to-date and sealed so that your home is properly insulated. Try replacing incandescent lightbulbs with energy-saving flourescent bulbs.
• Consider the environmental costs of major decisions and purchases: When relocating or changing jobs, try to live close to where you work. Compare efficiency when purchasing new cars or appliances—many appliances are labeled as energy-conserving and list the amount of energy they use. Lower your general consumption, and choose products that take fewer resources to create.
• Don't use pesticides/herbicides on your lawn: Along with nitrogen fertilizer runoff, these are major water pollutants.
• Dispose of old paint, chemicals, and oil properly: Don't put batteries, antifreeze, paint, motor oil, or chemicals in the trash. Use proper toxics disposal sites. Never buy more than you need.
• Quit smoking: Second-hand smoke is a major indoor air pollutant and health hazard. When you quit, both you and your family will lead longer and healthier lives.
• Keep your cat indoors: Domestic cats kill over one billion small birds and animals every year (1 outdoor cat averages 40 kills per year). Their natural hunting instincts drive them to unwittingly upset the natural predator/prey balances and eliminate ground nesting birds.