Ecological Footprint

Your ecological footprint is a way to measure how much of the Earth's resources you use. It counts the land, water, and energy needed to support the way you live. It also counts the waste you produce. A smaller footprint means you are using fewer resources and being kinder to the planet.

What Makes Up Your Footprint

Many things affect your ecological footprint. The food you eat, the way you travel, and the energy your home uses all count. Eating meat has a bigger footprint than eating vegetables. Driving a car uses more resources than riding a bike. Even the things you buy add to your footprint because they take resources to make.

Shrinking Your Footprint

There are many ways to make your footprint smaller. Eating more fruits and vegetables helps. Walking, biking, or taking the bus saves energy. Recycling and reusing things means fewer resources are needed. Turning off lights and electronics when you are not using them makes a difference too. Every little change adds up.

Fun Facts

• If everyone on Earth lived like the average American, we would need about five planets to provide enough resources!
• The average American's ecological footprint is about 8 global hectares per person.
• Online footprint calculators can help you figure out the size of your ecological footprint.

Did You Know?

The country with one of the smallest ecological footprints per person is India, because most people there use far fewer resources!