How big is your ecological footprint ?........

Jonny · #1 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 05:49 PM

Thanks to Redcollective on BCUK for this one...........Earth Day Footprint Quiz

eeyore · #2 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 05:55 PM

Intresting , if everyone lived like me we would need 1.1 planets, but fortunately there are lots of people in the third world who cant so it averages out *irony*

Actually I was suprised because i live quite green, shop second hand, drive a very economical car , and only eat meat ocasionally.

Jonny · #3 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 06:01 PM

Thats good Eeyore........Mine is 4.1 planets, mainly to do with my big 4x4 I suppose. Its a load of rubbish really, but makes you think a bit, which is a good thing.........

Tiggrx · #4 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 06:27 PM

I did better than I thought I would -only 1.9 planets - still too many I guess...

Wild-Woman · #5 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 06:52 PM

1.2 for me.Gonna work on the .2 to start with.ww

Alan · #6 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 07:03 PM

1.4 planets for me. Maybe should have a smaller house, but then I'd have no room to put all my books and stuff

Also as I work from home a lot of the time too, I guess I'm not contributing to the ecological footprint of a workplace!

Mr Mag00 · #7 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 08:32 PM

2.2 this and the carbon calculator have really disappointed me. I thought i was doing so well too, oh well room for improvement

Airehead · #8 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 09:26 PM

The answer is not to reduce the individual use of resources, because the reduction will never be sufficient. The only possible answer, according to the data on the 'footprint quiz' site, is stabilisation of global population.

speckled wood · #9 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 09:50 PM

Even doing just 5000 miles a year in a car with a 1.3 engine adds more than I thought.

Jennywrenny · #10 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 09:57 PM

Only 1 planet for me - a vegetarian on public transport

Earth Hart · #11 (**permalink**) 24-09-2006, 10:04 PM

I'm very suprised by mine, 4.1, concidering I don't drive, hardly ever fly (I can't afford it), travel by public transport, use energy saving bulbs and the like and recycle as much of my waste as possible. There has to be a hook in this somewhere.

Paul mabbott · #12 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 07:31 AM

Yes, I'm 1.2 and don't see how I could improve! Except that this (old) house isn't very well insulated so I couldn't honestly include energy conservation in my response. Similarly, what can you do about the size of your house? Fill in the library?
One error in the question (if you don't ask a good question, you don't get a good answer) - two options for travel by car 25-100 *or* 0 - what about 10?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore

Intresting , if everyone lived like me we would need 1.1 planets, but fortunately there are lots of people in the third world who cant so it averages out *irony*

Actually I was suprised because i live quite green, shop second hand, drive a very economical car , and only eat meat ocasionally.

smartie · #13 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 07:57 AM

Oh dear. Three planets.

My house seems to be the main problem - I think I need to take in some green lodgers.

lewisa · #14 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 12:54 PM

I got 1,6, however, Im dubious as to the accuracy of my score because of the car and motorbike fuel efficiency questions, I tried converting everything but the answers I gave were basically guesswork.

henrya · #15 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 02:23 PM

Hard to answer some of the questions - it doesn't allow you not to have a car!

henrya

speckled wood · #16 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henrya

Hard to answer some of the questions - it doesn't allow you not to have a car!

henrya

I noticed that, AOL's new motoring correspondant and pro car activist Mike Rutherford (don't recollect that I joined AOL for its pro motoring stance) claims that there are 50 million motorists in the UK, I just wonder what the real number is.

Earth Hart · #17 (**permalink**) 25-09-2006, 03:46 PM

The one thing I know about Earth Day, is that it's an american site and they think everybody drives in the states, which they do, well almost.

I know that as far as my carbon footprint is concerned they got it well wrong.

littleT · #18 (**permalink**) 26-09-2006, 09:27 AM

I'm 1.3. I try to be equal. As the school is local I should walk more, but when we're late it's so convenient to jump in the car. I am trying to sell my car for one with a smaller engine at the same time looking at practicality.

The majority of our waste gets recycled, Paper, plastic bottles, tins (the local council picks it up). House hold waste usually falls within the two bags allowed per week(1 green bin). Cardboard goes to the recycle skip. Food goes to the dog, so my waste is generally excess packaging. Even some of that goes to recycle.

I don't fly - like most we can't afford it and just stick to local days out in the holidays.
Hubby works close by, and we are working on making the house more energy efficient, believe it or not I think thats mainly where our down falls lie.

Paul mabbott · #19 (**permalink**) 26-09-2006, 10:27 AM

I asked someone once why she drove her children to school, virtually round the corner. Tha answer: "It's too dangerous, there are so many cars about .... "!
Keep up the good work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by littleT

As the school is local I should walk more, but when we're late it's so convenient to jump in the car. I am trying to sell my car for one with a smaller engine at the same time looking at practicality.

Owl-Light · #20 (**permalink**) 26-09-2006, 10:39 AM

1.1 planets for me too.

littleT · #21 (**permalink**) 27-09-2006, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I asked someone once why she drove her children to school, virtually round the corner. Tha answer: "It's too dangerous, there are so many cars about .... "!
Keep up the good work.

Have to say I'm more worried about the amount of unsafe parents there are. We've got specifically built crossings and Lollypop people, and there'll still be one person that thinks its better to cross alone right through the traffic dragging the kid - I for one think its best to take them by foot for that reason, so that they become more aware of the dangers, I've made sure my kids and the dog are trained well when it comes to crossing safely.

I may have only been visiting this site for a few days, but I can really understand why the minority of us need to speak out.

Rich · #22 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 11:59 PM

3.4 planets. Maybe if there were a viable public transport system I'd be able to cut down on my car use at 1500 miles a month. I'm looking to downsize my house next year so I'll get brownie points there. My inability to eat vegetables and salads may well affect the final figure too.

Paul mabbott · #23 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 10:35 AM

A new way of recycling that might make some money. What do you do with your old books?
Green Metropolis - How it works
Sounds interesting - must go through my books one day .....

Words · #24 (**permalink**) 13-10-2006, 09:08 PM

1.7 planets, mainly to do with living nowhere near a bus service to work. Moved out of the town centre and had to get a car to get to work.

Paul mabbott · #25 (**permalink**) 21-10-2006, 05:17 PM

Another aspect of recycling is that your rubbish may be someone else's treasure. If you can't recycle it or sell it, give it away - Freecycle Groups Around the Globe is a good way of at least making sure your unwanted possessions go to someone who might need them. They have groups in most part of the country.

And think of the people you know. Last year I bought this computer and had to get rid of my ten year old one. Took a lot of trouble to find a place which would recycle it (rather than pick out the useful elements and dump it in landfill). The next day a woman down the street said to me, 'I'd like your advice, I'm going to buy a computer ... just something simple to practice on ...' .................