Ecological Footprint Essay Example for Free

Ecological Footprint Essay Like all animals, humans require a certain amount of space to support their needs. We can think of the space that provides these materials as an individual’s ‘ecological footprint. ’ Not all humans have the same ecological footprint, as the way we live our lives—our lifestyles—determines the impact we have on the environment. 1. How did your ecological footprint break down? Fill in the percentage column. Category % Food 18% Mobility 14% Shelter 9% Good 23% Services 35% 2. How many global acres does it take to support your lifestyle? It would 22. 4 global acres of Earth’s productive area to support my lifestyle. 3. If everyone lived like you do, we would need   planets to provide resources. If everyone lived like me, we would need 5 planet Earths to provide resources. 4. What could you do to lessen your Ecological Footprint? After taking the Ecological Footprint calculator I found out that my lifestyle consumed a big part of Earth’s resources. The ecological footprint calculator helped me to reduce my lifestyle by 1. 3 planets. It suggested that I should eat fewer animal based products and start eating naturally produce crops. I also should purchase products which used less packaging or packaging materials that are made from recycled products. I am planning to use energy from renewable resources by switching to solar panels for my home. I also plan to stop using our car and start to use public transportation as my mode of travel. I usually go for a vacation every year. My family and I need to fly to our destination. To be able to lessen our ecological footprints, I will suggest that we prefer local trips rather flying. If I can do all of this, I can reduce my lifestyle of 5 planet Earths to just only 3. 8 planet Earths. I know that this is not enough but it can be a good start. Reference Global Footprint Network. (2009). Footprint Calculator. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from http://www. footprintnetwork. org/en/index. php/GFN/page/calculators/