Ecological Footprint

             While finding out my ecological footprint i began to realize how hazardous i was to the environment. If everyone lived like me we need 5.3 Earths to provide resources. In addition, I take up 23.7 acres of productive area to support my lifestyle. When I first saw this I was shocked but then I started thinking about my lifestyle and it honestly seemed to all add up. 


            When I think of my ecological footprint I simply think of a footprint. For example, when you walk on the beach you leave your footprint and the sand changes shape. Now just think of the sand as the earth (which it is) and my foot as me; I'm shaping the world more and more every day by the way I live, and It's not a good way. Adding on, I need to sustain what I do so I can help sustain the earth. 


            Sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being. When making choices in life you have to take into consideration what affects you will have on the environment. We can sustain the environment if we recycle, use  incandescent light bulbs, unplug electronics we are not using, and more. When buying products, you should take into account how long the product will last. If the product will last longer then it takes to make the product then the product is sustainable. 


             To reduce my own footprint, I need to stop using up so much gas. I am constantly on the road increasing pollution using about 40 gallons of gas a week. I can fix this by starting to carpool with friends or walking and biking. Instead of making several trips to the store during the week, I wait until the end of the week and make one trip. By living on campus and taking the bus, I am now using less gas then when I had to drive all the way to school and back.