For my first quiz I did the Carbon Independent quiz on the EcobusinessLinks Environmental Directory.
My usage was 9.52 tonnes of CO2 compared to the U.S. average of 20, the UK average of 13.4 and the India Average of 1.2.
I am at a little bit of a disadvantage as I don' t get heating bills to compare. I live in a duplex, so on the positive side I and my neighbors help each other heat and cool our houses. I had to make a lot of guesses. And, it is a UK survey, so I'm not fully sure the best conversion method, not only for the answers, but for the actual assumptions made about what a small house consumes.
If we take the numbers as some level of accurate, it is cool that I am below the average American and UK resident. Got a long way to go to be on the level of my Indian friends. (I would love to know if the numbers for India include only Indian residence or if it is an average used over the country for all people living there. In other words, are the american people living over there temporarily for outsourcing projects counted.)
What can I do to improve? I'm fully moving up to Duluth so I will be reducing both bus and car trips to the cities. That will help. I could make a more conscious effort to include more local food than I already do and maybe cut out some food that I eat that travels a long distances. I'd have to research that a bit. I know bananas are not so friendly to our environment, but they come in such WONDERFUL packages that I can't help but think mother nature put them there for those of us needing to travel with fruit. I could plant some food trees or bushes so that next summer I can eat REALLY local! :)
It was interesting to do. I wish I felt better about the accuracy of the numbers. I want to look for ways to keep improving. It is nice to know I'm on the right track.
The second one I did was the IUHPE Ecological Footprint quiz.
Below is the screen shot of my results.
(I'm a little sad you can't see my avatar character for the quiz... she had KICKIN' BLUE HAIR!)
Doing this one made me feel sad. I don't like to see the 3.8 earths that are needed to keep all me's alive. I feel bad about that. I use most of my energy on services according to the circle graph. I'm not fully sure what that means exactly. Goods and mobility are coming out the lowest for me. I think that might be true but am afraid that isn't as true as the numbers say. I do take the bus for school. I don't drive so there is some sense in that being low for me.
I would both love and would be very uncomfortable with having someone following me around and getting the real numbers of daily activities. Looking at reality and not just my perception.
Again, I think taking stalk in what I can do and get locally for foods and goods is an interesting start.
Today, my lunch soup was all local ingredients. And the salad was grown in hydroponics in the living room of where I ate, so that was VERY local.
Being aware on a more frequent bases helps me make better choices.
Cool snap shots and thought provokers.
I'm not clear if I need to do a third quiz as I see that one part says I need to do one and another three. I will reduce my eco footprint right now by meeting in the middle and doing two. Thus saving energy by turning off my computer faster.
Happy eco footprint downsizing!
I love your post! I agree, the numbers were a little sketchy but hey, its a good exercise anyhow. Eating locally seems a bit tricky in Minnesota, but your idea of plating trees was awesome. I think it would be amazing if community gardens became more popular. Everyone could plant something different and share with eachother. Being conscious of our daily living is a good first step for change! :)
ReplyDeleteJudy, I am curious about the CO2 emissions and energy use in other countries as well. Your inquiries about India strike a familiar chord. I'd like to know if this survey takes into account the poverty stricken families and individuals in all those far-away places.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad, my number was higher than yours. I don't think this activity was very accurate but it got the message out that we can improve certain things in our lifestyle to benefit the environment. I hope you follow through with the planting of trees idea you brought up. That would be pretty neat!
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