Then take the ecological footprint test at http://www.myfootprint.org/ brought to you by www.redefiningprogress.org (a really cool organization).
Apparently, if the whole world lived like me, we would need 2.8 planets.
What about you? Take the test and if you aren't ashamed, post your results. It's really interesting to figure out how you specifically impact the environment. Or maybe I am just behind the Fresno crowd and you guys have been there, done that with this discussion. Anyhow, I love to talk about it.
What would also be really neat, is if we figured out the ecological footprint of the City of Fresno. The wonderfully progressive cities of Seattle and London are in the works of figuring out theirs. How wonderful if our city could jump on that train. Its quite a project. Maybe a masters thesis for someone?
doug
deny is spelled with a y.
and their is ei not ie.
You would denie them the right to breed
You would denie mama all the welfare checks she can pop out.
Not to metion the fat SSI checks for life for ones she drops on thier head.
You'd denie her income to keep her pipe filled with meth.
You'd denie her the right to create a gang of criminals to destroy public schools, to rob steal, rape, kill, and deal drugs.
You'd denie her the right to be supported by you for life time 20?
Careful or they might hang you in the middle of thier trailer park.
Offspring
Why don't these quizes ever take children into account? No other act will come close to creating as much environmental harm as having a child. Period. You'll never be able to purchase enough carbon credits, use enough bamboo, or eat enough soy product to ever make up for it. When I see these huge families, I tend to wonder how long before we start seeing agendas seeking to limit family size a la China. We're probably only a few generations away from hitting a critical mass in population; how long should we let the situation go unaddressed?
soapbox
For the sake of ecologic sustainablitiy stay on your soapbox.
Reducing the ecological footprint
I see that I abandoned my own post in 2006.
Well I'm bringing it back, thanks to the last comment.
Since I originally wrote this in 2006, my footprint increased from 2.6 to 3.1. I'm somewhat surprised. I now walk rather than drive to work, and I live in a tiny apartment that uses next to no electricity. However, I moved from a huge house out in the country with 5 people in it to a tiny apartment in Fresno with my husband and I. And I still am an occasional carnivore. But, I do fly more often (more than once a year) and not meat, but usually dairy products are part of my daily diet. Being busy means that I don't have as much time to shop at farmers' market then we'd like.
From the footprint website, here's some of their pointers to reduce the footprint: eat less meat and processed foods, reduce the amount of packaged foods you buy (Trader Joes..), walk/bike/use public transportation more, buy local (like join a CSA....we've had the brochure on our fridge for like 4 months now...), compost your waste (if you have a yard), drive less, etc.
From a planning standpoint, everyone who has commented on this in this post is absolutely right-- we are completely eating up viable farmland and creating non-sustainable communities in Fresno. The latest and greatest housing tracts may have solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and have "be walkable, smart-growth communities" (as one developer pointed out because the tract had narrow streets and small lots, thus reducing the amount of land used--good thing). But really, how walkable is a tract such as that if it's located miles from the nearest grocery store, park, or office center, and surrounded by farmland, as most of these are?
I'm going to get off of my soapbox now. But I will say, in Fresno, the best thing we can do is just Reduce. Live with less. Less waste, less food, less trips, less everything. It's a lifestyle change, and it might be a little hippie-esque, but it will make a much bigger difference if compounded across our population. You know, ethanol, even if it is a friendly alternative to air, takes thousands of acres of land to produce. I'd definitely recommend reading this week's Time magazine cover article about the "not so environmentally friendly effects of biofuels".
Can't we just drive less?
Please Dont Feed the Marla
Or encourage her delusions