Ecological Footprint Recalculated

Recalculated footprint:

 

Original Footprint:

 

I was actually really excited to see that my footprint went down throughout the quarter. Although, I made small changes I didn't realize how much of a positive impact my changes would have. Even though I'm still using 4.51 earths ( compared to 4.94) I was still proud that the changes I made were reflected in my recalculated footprint.

 

My three goals were:

1. Reduce my footprint by only eating out (either sit-down or fast food) one day a week.

2.Only eat meat once a day, except two days a week I would go vegetarian.

3.Take shorter showers.

After evaluation of my goals during the middle of the quarter, I realized I needed to put more effort into making a bigger impact by making my goals a little more challenging. Through this is when I decided that I needed to go vegetarian two days a week, but I also realized that I had been letting a few of my goals slip away as the quarter went on. After this I thought that I needed to put more effort into making sure I succeeded with the goals that I had set out to accomplish. I am happy to say that most weeks (I can't say I didn't slip up and take a long shower or go out to eat a few times in a week), I was fairly successful. By realizing the importance of these goals I was able to reduce my ecological footprint by .43 earths!

 

After this course in sustainability, I realize how important it is that I continue to make positive changes. I believe that I can continue these goals and even improve upon them as well as adding goals in order to reduce my footprint even farther.







Who knew the impact of clothing?

We all struggle to recycle as much as we can, or try to share a ride with a friend when it is convenient in an effort to show that we put the environment first. Yet, it's interesting to think that we never even consider the impact that our clothing has on the environment. According to the World Bank, the textile industry is responsible for 20 percent of industrial pollution. Due to this it has been one company's mission to minimize the harm done in clothing production while improving the lives of workers involved.

Henry Schwab, and his wife Kate Fisher are the owners of a company called Synergy Clothing, which is a company all about sustainable alternatives. Not only do they the believe in treating employees fairly, but they also believe that they can have a positive impact on the environment. They pay above minimum wage and also ensure that everyone involved within the company, regardless of where it may be, should have safe working conditions. The company strives to improve sustainability on already popularized textiles such as cotton and silk, but they also try to incorporate new uses of seaweed and hemp. Schwab believes that these new ingredients could produce thousands of new blends, but currently they have only been promoted by those that are willing to invest the resources in promotion and funding. He believes that larger companies need to invest first in order to bring down prices and increase availability for the smaller manufacturers. By doing so, it will make it easier for these manufacturers and become more affordable for consumers to purchase these sustainable options.

Article Source: Triple Pundit