Like many of you, I find myself deeply concerned about the state of our planet today. The health of Earth is in a precarious state, and while seeking a quick fix is tempting, the complexity of the issues at hand is overwhelming. But eco-anxiety won’t get us anywhere – it’s action that will drive change. So, where do we begin? It’s quite simple: by understanding and assessing our own individual impact on the planet.
🌍 Carbon vs. Ecological Footprint: Knowing the Difference
Your carbon footprint is the sum of greenhouse gas emissions for which you’re responsible, largely due to the combustion of fossil fuels. The ecological footprint, meanwhile, is the more comprehensive sibling, accounting for the bioproductive space your lifestyle requisitions. Both are insightful, both are necessary, and complementary.
🔍 The Broader Picture: Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint is a method that determines how dependent humans are on natural resources. It is a measure that indicates how much resources from the environment are required to support a specific way of life or business.
The ecological footprint calculation stands on two pillars:
- The Earth’s biocapacity – essentially, our planet’s production rate of resources.
- The ecological impact of our actions – like how much resource goes into driving a car a single kilometer, including the resource lifecycle from production to waste.
📊 Measuring and Managing Our Impact
The Global Footprint Network has developed a tool that assigns parts of the Earth’s surface to common human activities – it’s an ecological footprint calculator. It´s accessible for everyone to understand and, more importantly, to act upon.
I’ll admit, when I first used the Footprint Calculator, the revelations about my own ecological footprint, annual carbon footprint, and my personal Earth overshoot day – shockingly early in the year – were a wake-up call. But acknowledging this was my first true step out of denial and towards impactful change of my lifestyle.
Dive in, explore, and start making changes:
🌐 Calculate Your Footprint: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en
Remember, every small step counts. You can´t make this alone, but without your contribution it can´t be done either.
We’re eager to hear from you!
Your thoughts and ideas are invaluable to us. Feel free to share them in the comments or drop us an email at sustainability.congress24@sietareu.org
Remember, even small changes can have a significant impact when adopted collectively. By leading by example and encouraging others to follow suit: Act today, impact tomorrow!
Warm regards,
Your SIETAR Congress ´24 Sustainability Team