Ecological Footprint Quiz

Results from my Ecological Footprint Quiz made me realize that I am not living as ecologically friendly as I thought. Three major changes in my lifestyle that I wish to implement to reduce my footprint include reducing my solid waste, travel time by plane, and consumption of animal products. People in the U.S. generate more the 250 million tons of trash per year! What is disappointing is that a large majority of it is recyclable or can be composted. I am guilty of contributing to land pollution by buying numerous packaged products, paper plates, and not recycling as often as I should. Ways I wish to decrease this contribution includes buying fewer products with excess packaging, recycling as often as possible, and using recyclable containers or my own glass containers when buying and storing food. The ultimate goal is to buy most of my foods locally to further reduce the chance of the foods being pre-packaged. Buying less packaged products will greatly decrease the amount of waste you throw into your trashcan everyday.

Personally, I fly about 10-25 hours per year back and forth from Canada, Michigan, and Florida. “One round-trip flight from New York to Europe or to San Francisco creates a warming effect equivalent to 2-3 tons of carbon dioxide per person! The average American generates about 19 tons of carbon dioxide a year” (Rosenthal). Traveling by plane significantly contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide emission is a major pollutant, and contributor to the greenhouse effect. By purchasing plane tickets and flying to numerous destinations, I am contributing to air pollution and the collapse of the environment. Purchasing or supporting items that you know negatively affect the environment, is like voluntarily saying that you are okay with damaging this