A Deeper Green

What follows are my scores on two of the most comprehensive and easy to use on-line ecological footprint calculators. I hope to use these scores as motivation to make positive environmental changes in my life:

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

o To support me I need 33 acres of land. 5.2 for food, 7.2 for mobility, 7.4 for shelter, 13.3 for goods and services. We would need 7.4 earths to support us if everyone lived like me. The average American scores 24 acres on this test.

- www.earthlab.com

o My score is 406 and my carbon output is 19. The average American scores 325.

Basically, I am bad for the environment! So my goal is to reduce these numbers by making some positive changes in my life. It is important to note that these quizzes are simply guidelines. They don’t take into account all of your behaviors and do not account for your entire footprint or lack thereof. They do work well as a starting point though, so I encourage everyone to use them. Feel free to let me know how you do! Most of you will score lower than me. Work makes me fly so very much.

I take these test to set the stage for making changes in my own life. It is useful to have a quantification of the effect I personally have on the environment. I will record all my efforts to reduce my footprint in an effort to smooth the path for you to follow behind. I’m excited to get going on this. You get excited too!