What's Your Footprint?
I just learned that if everyone on the planet lived as I do, it would take 4.2 Earths to provide for them. Meaning: I take up three times as much resources as I should. And that’s with keeping my house at 60 degrees all winter, driving minimally in an efficient car, and being a vegetarian.
This is how it works; on Earth there are 4.5 productive acres available per living human being. The average American uses 24 acres per person. That mean that every American uses up six times what the average Turkish person uses, for example. And obviously, plenty of folks get WAY less than their share.
How many Earths would we need to support your lifestyle? Find out by taking the quiz at My Footprint. You can also find out what your carbon footprint is at this site. And here’s another one, just for kicks. You can adjust them if you live outside the U.S. You can see how people in other countries rate here. Fill me in on your results, and if you have a low number, how come?
Starre Vartan
Starre Vartan is founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick.com and the author of the Eco-Chick Guide to Life. She's also a freelance science and environment writer who has published in National Geographic, CNN, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, the NRDC, and many more. She lives on an island in Puget Sound with her partner and black cat. She was a geologist in her first career, and still picks up rocks wherever she goes.
