Ecological footprint

"Ecological footprint" is a smart definition to calculate statistically the surface of the Earth that a person or a country consumes. By complicate calculations, we can have an idea of how much planet we use with our lifestyle (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint). For example, the average worldwide ecological footprint per person is 1.9 hectares, the one of an italian citizen is 4.2, in India it is 1.0 and in USA it is 9.6 hectares!
This calculation has some limits but it gives an immediate idea of the different impact on the Earth of the industrial countries and of the other ones.

If you want to calculate your own ecological footprint see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_Footprint#External_links.

Since I have begun to care enviromental and substainability lifestyle, I am trying to reduce my personal ecological footprint. Here are some little tips that I can suggest you:

- I go to work by bus instead of motorbike;
- in the free time I use my bike or I walk every time I can;
- I do not buy mineral water any more and I drink tap water;
- I put low-flow plumbing devices on every taps;
- I put everywhere low energy light bulbs;
- I don't use the standby mode of the electronic devices;
- I set the temperature of my home at 18.5 degrees C in winter;
- I separate reciclable wastes as much as I can;
- I buy clothes and shoes only when I need them and not simply when I would like to have a new look;
- I am almost complete vegetarian;
- I buy only season fruit and vegetables;
- between two similar products I prefer the one that comes nearer;
- I do not use oneuse dishes and glasses;
- in my office I do not switch the light on if I have sufficient light from the window;
- I keep the fan-coil of my office room off either in winter or in summer because the heat or the fresh air that comes from the corridor is enough for me;
- I switch my computer and printer off at the end of the work day;
- I print documents on both sides of the paper;
- I reuse the plastic glass of the coffee machine for several times.

I could surely do more, but I think that the most important thing is to know the direction to make lighter my passage on Earth.
Unfortunately, if I look around, very few people care that!

The above one is a translation of an old post of mine: Cos'è l'impronta ecologica?

For Italian speaking people, I wrote a lot of posts on enviromental themes:
Altri miei post sull'ambiente:

Che almeno la bottiglia sia degradabile
Oro blu
Mettiamola fuori legge!
Decrescita felice o infelicità della decrescita?
Un pianeta di cento abitanti
Aspirante vegetariana
A caccia di buone notizie
Eroi verdi