The footprint calculator (Global Footprint Network, n.d.) allowed the assessment of personal lifestyles’ global impact. Thus, if everyone had my lifestyle, we would need 3.7 Planet Earths to supply the necessary resources. To provide for my living, 16.4 global acres of the Earth’s fruitful land will be needed. Most of this area will be necessary for energy land; much less belongs to crop and forest land.
The distribution of categories that influence my ecological footprint is as follows. More than half (54 percent) belong to services. Shelter and food take less, 17, and 14 percent accordingly. The least significant categories for my footprint are goods and mobility with 10 and 6 percent.
It is evident that some steps should be taken to reduce the harmful influence people have on the planet. After the analysis of my footprint, I can try consuming fewer animal products. In the global context, it could reduce the number of global acres by almost six and a half million. Another way to save resources is to buy products with minimum packaging or packed in recycled materials.
This step would cut down the necessary area by more than five hundred global acres. One more aspect to consider is the spread of renewable energy resources. For example, it is possible to use solar panels to supply electricity to houses. If every citizen did so, the planet would save another three hundred global acres. The energy efficiency of home appliances should also be one of the primary concerns together with more attention to going by public transport instead of driving a car. Finally, recycling should become the responsibility of citizens. It will not only reduce the volume of waste but will also save natural resources and energy.
References
Global Footprint Network (n.d.). Footprint calculator. Web.