This is an interesting measure called “ecological footprint”. One of Bay Area TV station did an interview recently. I am attaching the hyperlink. Try answering the questions to see if how many “Planets” you will need for your life style.

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp#

My final result after answering few questions:
My total Footprint is 20 Acres (USA average 24 Acres)
Note: WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON. IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE ME, WE WOULD NEED 4.5 PLANETS.
Take Action button leads to some actions and goals.

Regards,
Govind.

My Results:

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 1.6

MOBILITY 1.7

SHELTER 0.4

GOODS/SERVICES 1.6

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 5.3

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 5.3 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.9 PLANETS.

WE ALL NEED OT TAKE ACTION SOME MORE THAN OTHERS! :mad:

Good link! :agree1:

And my result: 4.4 hectares (~10.9 Acres).


http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifCATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifFOOD 1.4http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif
MOBILITY 0.4
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifSHELTER 1.2http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif
GOODS/SERVICES 1.4http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 4.4http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 6.7 (16.6 Acres) GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.4 PLANETS

/Claes

1.1 planets for me!

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 0.3
MOBILITY 0.4
SHELTER 0.7
GOODS/SERVICES 0.5
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 1.9

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 0.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.1 PLANETS.

My results:


http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifCATEGORYACREShttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifFOOD6.9http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifMOBILITY3.2http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifSHELTER7.2http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifGOODS/SERVICES9.4http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifTOTAL FOOTPRINT27

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifIN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.http://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.earthday.net/footprint/images/spacer.gif
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 6 PLANETS.

I'm all for environmental responsibility, but doesn't anyone see the logical fallacy here? How is saying "If everyone lived like you..." any different from saying, "If you had wings, you wouldn't need to drive so much." :bonk:

I got:

Food 1.5Ha
Mobility 1.8Ha
Shelter 0.7Ha
Goods/Services 1.9Ha

Total footprint 5.9Ha compared to 5.3Ha average for this country

Equivalent to 3.3 planets

And still I want more.

but doesn't anyone see the logical fallacy here? Yes, there is that, of course... It's like housing: If we heated our dwellings acc to a world average, we could very well freeze to death in the winter...

Still, this is good food for thought, and I think the general message should be: Fingers out everybody, and do what you can do, be it on a personal or global corporate level. This is clearly a case where every little (not to mention big) bit counts.

/Claes

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 33
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 7.4 PLANETS.

**********************

Actually, I want a planet to myself. Nothing too big as I don't think my wife would want to do all that cleaning/yardwork. Perhaps something the size of Mars. :notme:

Wayne

CATEGORY ACRES
FOOD 6.2
MOBILITY 0.2
SHELTER 3.2
GOODS/SERVICES 3.2
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 13

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.9 PLANETS.

I think we need to populate more planets, and quickly!

Well, if everyone lived like me we'd need 5.4 planets. As soon as the powers that be create some sort of mass transit for people living in the boondocks, I guess that would go down significantly. Sorry, I do not plan on selling my house to live in a cardboard box.:(

My results:



I'm all for environmental responsibility, but doesn't anyone see the logical fallacy here? How is saying "If everyone lived like you..." any different from saying, "If you had wings, you wouldn't need to drive so much." :bonk:

Um fail to see the comparison, because there is no chance of us all growing wings, but as the world economy grows and amount of people being able to live like you (China, India etc....) then there is an increased % of people living like you and hence there is some element of fact contained within the statement!

Anyone dimissing the impact (and I am not suggesting you are Jim) they have on the world as "someone else's problem" has a poor grasp on reality.

Steel - who says you have to sell your house? Think about the way you heat and light it. Think about how you shop, what you buy etc..... That cardboard box you don't want to live in, should then be recycled!

Sorry but we can all take steps and make sacrifices for the good of our planet.

Anyway the flaw I see in this is that it does not take into account your Job. WE help run and keep polluting companies in business and can influence our employers working practices and hence have an impact on the environment in that way! It's not just consumers who can make a difference!

Um fail to see the comparison, because there is no chance of us all growing wings, but as the world economy grows and amount of people being able to live like you (China, India etc....) then there is an increased % of people living like you and hence there is some element of fact contained within the statement!

Anyone dimissing the impact (and I am not suggesting you are Jim) they have on the world as "someone else's problem" has a poor grasp on reality.


Sorry, but the chances that everyone in the world will live like me (as described in the survey questions) are exactly the same as the chances that I will grow wings and fly away.

Manix,
The poll is flawed beyond any ability to give us meaningful information just for the very examples you give about energy usages etc. I have a VERY energy effecient house. I spend use less than half the energy heating and cooling my house that I did my previous house, and it is 75% larger. The poll doesn't ask anything about whether all my appliances are energy star or not. Only what my vehicle mileage is and if I ride with someone. This is pretty moot when I live in an area with no public transportation available. There is no data collected about how I recycle, reduce or reuse.

Amusing little game, but it shouldn't be masquarading as a tool until it gets data that is actually relevant. oh, as for my job...we are the world's largest recycler, I believe that I have to be environmentally resposnsible at home and at work.

Just a few thoughts....one should never judge another (or accuse them of using up more than their share of the planet) like this website does. It is a great tool to get us thinking, but that is all.:2cents:

Sorry, but the chances that everyone in the world will live like me (as described in the survey questions) are exactly the same as the chances that I will grow wings and fly away.

THE POINT is though we only have one world, so only if a % of people live like you then....well I am sure you can do the maths!

So Jim, you better grow those wings and go and find us all another planet!

Let's not get picky about the wording of the statement though. It's there to make everyone think.....something we are all guilty of not doing judging by our survey answers!

Manix,
The poll is flawed beyond any ability to give us meaningful information just for the very examples you give about energy usages etc. I have a VERY energy effecient house. I spend use less than half the energy heating and cooling my house that I did my previous house, and it is 75% larger. The poll doesn't ask anything about whether all my appliances are energy star or not. Only what my vehicle mileage is and if I ride with someone. This is pretty moot when I live in an area with no public transportation available. There is no data collected about how I recycle, reduce or reuse.

Amusing little game, but it shouldn't be masquarading as a tool until it gets data that is actually relevant. oh, as for my job...we are the world's largest recycler, I believe that I have to be environmentally resposnsible at home and at work.

Just a few thoughts....one should never judge another (or accuse them of using up more than their share of the planet) like this website does. It is a great tool to get us thinking, but that is all.:2cents:

And exactly that! I 100% agree..... I never once suggested it was an accurate fact finding mission that condems everyone, just a tool to help us all think. I am a firm believer that too many people DON'T THINK and unfortunately don't listen either!

CATEGORY ACRES


I think we need to populate more planets, and quickly!

Well, according to the book "Gravity’s Arc" some physicists are devising experiments to create universes, so maybe that will solve the problem???:notme:

So lets take a hypothetical example.

A 35-50 year old Vegan, living in Chicago, grows all of his own food.
Lives with one person, in a 2500 ft^2 house - because the roof is lined with solar cells. Also has geothermal heat, and sells electricity back to the grid. (Takes the "green design" credit). Travels on public transportation only, 75-200 miles per week. Never drives or rides a motorbike. Fly's 100 hours a year to take his energy saving technology around the world.

CATEGORY ACRES

FOOD 1.7

MOBILITY 6.4

SHELTER 8.2

GOODS/SERVICES 9.9

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 26



IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.



I personally find this "tool" completly bogus and it makes me think less of an organization that would use "fuzzy science" tactics like this with no statistical or mathmatical explanation.

Large house does not equal bad.
Small house does not equal good.
Flying does not equal bad.

To me this seems akin to the management philosophy of 'because Quality does not produce anything and takes up valuable resources that could be used for manufacture, Quality must be bad.'

:notme:

So Jim, you better grow those wings and go and find us all another planet!

Let's not get picky about the wording of the statement though. It's there to make everyone think.....something we are all guilty of not doing judging by our survey answers!

I think one of the problems with websites and their little games, which is really what is, is that many take it as gospel. Personally, I don't take it seriously, much like I don't really take the whole global warming thing seriously or garbage such as the Kyoto Protocol. Sorry for the political drift. :rolleyes:

Wayne

According to the way I live the Earth is doomed and will not last very long.

Sorry but we can all take steps and make sacrifices for the good of our planet.Yes, that is what it boils down to. Everyone can do something and I think a lot can be achieved without much of a sacrifice...

Look, we can find all sorts of faults and holes in that little calculation, but why bother with that?

/Claes