[www.myfootprint.com]www.myfootprint.com
    
INDIVIDUALS
 
 

Take Action: You can do many things to reduce the footprint you leave on the planet. First, you might want to use our Take Action calculator. Enter some simple goals for your life—such as a pledge to eat less meat—and find out how many acres of land that you could save just by implementing that goal!

And for even more helpful tips on how to live sustainably, visit Turn the Tide: 9 Actions for the Planet, where you can get nine quick tips for reducing your footprint, plus, use calculators that tally and track your impact—instantly!

Hungry for still more ways to change your life? You might:

Eat less meat: A plant-based diet generally requires less land, energy, and other resources. Crop-based food requires an average of 0.78 global hectares per ton of food, compared to 2.1 global hectares required to produce one ton of animal-based food. See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information on this topic (and others!). Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle and reduce the amount that you drive-walk, cycle, carpool, or use public transportation instead.

Avoid purchasing disposable items with lots of packaging. Re-use items when possible, and always recycle items that are recyclable.

Compost kitchen waste: Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases (a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill.

Plant native and drought-tolerant plants in dry regions to reduce water use.

Be a conscientious consumer—learn about sustainability-friendly products here, courtesy of The Center for a New American Dream. Also, for a teenage perspective on “buying different,” click here.

Visit the GreenMarketplace, an online green shopping center, for all sorts of environmentally friendly products.

Share magazines and catalogs by donating them to hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices or by creating an informal program in which you rotate magazines and catalogs among your neighbors.

Save trees by freeing yourself from junk mail, in three basic steps! Also courtesy of The Center for a New American Dream.

Reuse and recycle packing materials. You can recycle materials like packing “peanuts”—simply call 1-800-828-2214 for the Plastic Loose Fill Council’s “Peanut Hotline” and they’ll tell you the nearest recycling location.

Engage Friends

“It’s amazing what a small group of committed people can accomplish to change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead

How can you create your own small network of people?

Start a conversation by asking your friends about their social and ecological concerns.

Encourage your friends to visit www.myfootprint.org and make their own lifestyle changes using the Take Action Calculator as a guide.

Recruit some friends to get involved with you in local and global movements for social change. To find an Earth Day event or Earth Day network group in your own area, click here. For a list of other interesting nonprofit organizations that welcome volunteers in your area, try www.care2.com. or www.idealist.org.

Involve Society

Involving society means encouraging political leaders, schools, and businesses to use resources responsibly, to teach others how to do so, and to proactively track resource use in communities, organizations, and entire nations. As an individual, you can:

Write a letter to your local government representative.

Speak to your school district about incorporating the Ecological Footprint into their curriculum.

Inform local businesses about the Ecological Footprint, and encourage them to calculate the mark they leave on the planet. For information on a Footprint quiz tailored specifically to businesses, contact www.rprogress.org or [email protected]. Or see our detailed summary of Ecological Footprints for businesses and the government.

Register to vote and vote for candidates who support: Renewable energy policies Highly fuel efficient modes of transportation Protecting existing ecologically productive lands Restoring degraded natural areas Promoting organic and local food sources Setting standards for recycled product procurement policies and fair trade

Take a look at the League of Conservation Voters' annual report on the environmental voting records of members of Congress.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT CAMPAIGN 

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WHAT YOU CAN DO 

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COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

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 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 
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