Personal Ecological Footprint
The results for my ecological footprint are as follows:
1. If everyone lived the same lifestyle as me, the planet would require the regenerative capacity of 1.9 planets each year.
2. The comparison of my ecological footprint is that it takes 3.5 global hectares of the earth’s productive area to support my lifestyle.
3. The largest area of my footprint is taken up by food which is occupies 60% of my foot print. The second largest part is taken by goods which occupy 20% of the whole footprint. The third largest was shelter and mobility which occupies 10% each of my footprint. My footprint occupied almost 70% of the whole ecological foot print.
Household Emissions of CO2 GAS per year Results
The daily activity that occupied the household emission was my vehicles which occupied 24954 pounds of CO2 emission per year. I have two vehicles and so the emission is high compared to the United States of America average emission which is 12 500 pounds of CO2 g emission per year for each vehicle. To reduce this emission I have three measurable solutions to this:
a. Reduce the number of miles I drive every week by 20 miles. This will not cost me anything and in fact I will have saved $166 dollars every year. From this action I will also be able to save an estimated 850 pounds of carbon dioxide emission which is one percent of my total emissions per year.
b. If I reduce the miles I drive on my second vehicle by 15 miles every week I will have saved $125 annually. This will also ensure that I save my emissions by 398 pounds of carbon dioxide gas emission every year which is 1% of my total emissions.
c. If I perform regular maintenance of my vehicles I will have saved $243 emissions annually. This will ensure that I save 1747 pounds of carbon dioxide gas every year which adds up to 2% of my total emissions.
The second largest part of my household footprint is home energy which occupied 18655 pounds of carbon dioxide gas emission. This is also above the average for a 4 member household member like mine. I need to reduce these high emissions and so I have identified three measurable control methods.
a. Turn up my household air conditioner thermostat by 3 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. This will cost me nothing and I will be able to save $150 annually.
b. Enable the sleep feature on my computer and monitor at no cost. I will save $10 per year and reduce my carbon dioxide emissions by 84 pounds of carbon dioxide.
c. I will replace my single pane windows with energy star windows. This will enable me save 358 dollars every year at a cost estimated at 1-1000 dollars. I will also be able to save 2106 pounds of carbon dioxide gas every year which is about 3% per year.
The third emission footprint was occupied by the waste I use very year. From the waste I use I emit an estimated 4084 pounds of carbon dioxide gas every year and after recycling I emit 2999 pounds of carbon dioxide. To reduce emission I will take the following measures at no cost:
a. If I am willing to start recycling glass I will reduce emission by 120 pounds of carbon dioxide
b. If I start recycling aluminum and steel cans I will be able to save an estimated 582 pounds of carbon dioxide gas every year.
c. If I recycle more newspapers and magazine I will save an estimated 898 more pounds every year
Reference
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator2.html#c=waste&p=reduceWaste&m=calc_currentEmissions retrieved on 30th November 2011
