What’s your ecological footprint?

If you understand what your ecological footprint is, you can then understand the changes you can make to have a more sustainable life.

WWF’s ecological footprint calculator will work out your personal footprint, based on the way you live your life today – such as what you eat, where you live, how you travel, the amount of energy that you use. Knowing your ecological footprint will enable you to make informed choices that will help you to reduce your impact on the planet.

Once you have completed WWF’s ecological footprint calculator, explore the different things you can do to be more sustainable.

Here are a few tips from WWF that will help to get you started:

1. Top Tips for sustainable shopping
   • Buy local
   • Buy recycled
   • Bring your own bag
   • Choose sustainably sourced wood
   • Say “yes” to sustainable seafood
   • The less packaging the better
   • Choose biodegradable cleaning products
   • Buy energy-efficient appliances
   • Think before you buy
2. Top tips on travel and transport
   • Take public transport to work.
   • Walk or cycle rather than driving. It’s healthy too!
   • Drive efficiently. Even just correct tyre pressure can save 10% on your fuel consumption! A well-serviced car can save you – and the environment – heaps!
   • Carpooling. Company on the way to the company can knock your travel impact and costs down by 75%.
   • Reduce Air travel. For business – video conferences instead of air travel; for holidays – discover some of the fabulous destinations closer to home.
3. Water saving habits to get into
   • Cut your showers by two minutes
   • Convert to a water efficient shower head
   • Sweep your driveway instead of hosing
   • Use a water efficient washing machine
   • Use a dual flush toilet
   • Reduce the time you water your garden.
4. Easy to manage first steps towards energy efficiency
   • Switch off unused lights
   • Switch off appliances on standby

If you know someone who would like to know their ecological footprint and then take action on living a sustainable life and reducing their ecological footprint, why don’t you share this article with them?

Source: http://www.wwf.org.au/what_you_can_do/change_the_way_you_live/sustainable_living/