Everyday you're faced with simple decisions--decisions you probably don't think twice about. These could be anything from deciding whether to bike or bus to class, whether you're going to have a salad or a frozen pepperoni pizza and if you really need that outfit that's been sitting in your online shopping cart for weeks. They all seem pretty mindless--if you're tired or live a distance away, you're probably going to take the bus. If you're in the mood for pizza, odds are you'll be reaching in the freezer. If that outfit is going to be the coolest at the party, well then you just have to have it. Something that's not so mindless though, is the effect each of these actions has on the environment.
It seems silly.One frozen pepperoni pizza isn't going to change the world, right? Wrong. One pizza becomes two along the road, and if everyone on the planet has the same mentality as you...well, that's quite a lot of frozen pizza.
You're probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with my footprint??? A lot, actually. It's the simple decisions such as transportation, diet and shopping habits that make a big impact on how much energy you consume.
Maybe you're unaware of your own environmental impact, like many people. Lucky for you, there's a nifty footprint calculator to help you see just how many worlds would be needed if everyone lived their life like you. The calculator provides detailed questions, or shorter ones if you don't have much time, to figure out how you live your life. Based on that it breaks down how much energy you consume into categories and gives tips on how to reduce them. In my humble opinion, it's probably the most useful thing on the internet if you're trying to live your life in a sustainable way.
If you're like me, someone who has taken the test and isn't happy with their results, there are easy ways to shrink your footprint and truly start living in a more sustainable fashion-- because it's not enough to just care about the environment, you actually need to do something to benefit it.
1. Ideally, everyone would be vegan, but that's not completely realistic. Instead, try having specific days of the week where you cut out meat and/or dairy, such as "Meatless Mondays".
2. Whenever possible, take your bike or walk. If that's not possible try taking the bus. If you must drive, make sure you carpool! Transportation has a larger impact than you think.
3. Make sure you're recycling anything and everything that can be recycled.
4. Shop local and do it often. Not only is it sustainable, but who doesn't enjoy an afternoon at the farmers market?
5. Use reusable containers, bottles, and bags--cut down on unnecessary plastic and start reusing!
The list could go on and on and on and on. It could include simpler things, such as turning off the lights when you leave the room, turning off the faucet while you're brushing your teeth and limiting time spent in the shower. There are so many small decisions you can make each day to live your life in a sustainable manner.
Hopefully, you had the chance to calculate your footprint--more than anything though, hopefully you start taking the small, automatic decisions you make each day and thinking about what a green alternative could be. Because, like I'm sure you've all heard before, we only have one Earth and we need to take care of it.
Cheers to knowing your own footprint, and being able to make a difference!
