make a smaller ecological footprint

CATEGORY__ACRES

FOOD 4.4
MOBILITY 1.7
SHELTER 1.5
GOODS/SERVICES 3
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 11

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.4 PLANETS.

Last time I needed 22 acres, and 5 planets. So I’ve effectively halved my footprint. I’m not doing that much differently though, still not eating much meat, walking most of the time, etc. The only big difference is that I looked up the stats for my weekly commute and fuel efficiency of my car instead of estimating it.

I’m checking off this goal as done, although it’s not something I’m just going to stop doing. It’s become second nature now to try to eat healthy, save energy, recycle, support fair trade, shop with a conscience, etc. Good luck to everyone else on this goal! I’ll still check in from time to time to see how everyone’s doing.

Have completely cut out red meat from my diet (again). I’d like to cut out poultry as well, but that would leave me with basically no protein when I’m at school, unless I order the tuna sandwich or salmon salad every single day. I’m going to start bringing slices of tofu (the good, Asian kind that’s firm and sliceable) to make sandwiches and whatnot for protein. Maybe I should start bringing canned fish or something too.

Giant pile of recycling in my room as the recycling chair for our floor neglected to come by today and we have to wait till Monday.

Still buying organic when I can. Not saving energy at all though. I leave the lights, air purifier, and humidifier on all day because frankly, I’m not paying for utilities (the school is), and I’d rather have a bright clean room than help UCLA save a few bucks.

I retook the quiz. I was at 24 planets last time, I think.

CATEGORY: ACRES
FOOD: 4.4
MOBILITY: 6.2
SHELTER: 3.2
GOODS/SERVICES: 8.4
TOTAL FOOTPRINT: 22

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 5 PLANETS.

Well, at least I’m improving. Although the ALL CAPS TYPING feels like the website is disappointed in me and giving me a reproving glance.

I think I had some ham yesterday. I’ve been pretty good with not eating red meat but I was chowing down on this pasta salad the other day and was halfway through before I realized that there was ham in the salad and I had eaten it already. So I just finished the ham, because I might as well not waste it now that I’d gotten it.

In other news, my roommate and I have a huge overflowing box of recyclables and where is the recycling chair for our floor? Hmm?

I can’t remember when I last had red meat, which is good. I’d really like to cut out white meat too, but it’s hard on campus. There isn’t much vegetarian fare and almost no fish, ever. But I’m trying!

I like eating vegetarian, but for me, not for some cause. Talking to animal rights activists always makes me crave hamburgers.

What I’m doing now:
—Recycling all my bottles and cans. Not the paper, because we don’t have a program for that (yet).
—Eating less meat. I’m trying to go vegetarian again. So far, I’ve cut out red meat for sure. It’s hard to go without eating a little meat in the dorm cafeterias though.

What I want to do:
—Stop eating meat completely
—Replace most of my beauty products with natural ones (shampoo and things mainly)
—Help my family start recycling too
—Plant a tree! (This is sort of random.)

I forgot about the red meat thing for one meal on Saturday night. I guess there’s not much to say, except that I’m trying to remind myself and overall, it’s working.

We’re still recycling, and our floor is third place in the competition. I’ve been using mainly public transportation, since my car is at home, so I guess that’s a plus. But I miss my car a lot :(

I’m also still purchasing natural products that aren’t environmentally harmful, when possible. Plus, my school’s eateries only carry biodegradable containers and utensils. They tend to bend in hot soup, but oh well. Give and take.

Going vegetarian didn’t work. I’m doing the no red meat thing again, though, and I think I’ll just ease into it again, like I did last time. First, no red meat, then no meat or poultry. Last, no meat, poultry, or fish. It’ll take a while, but there’s no pressure and I think that helps things.

However, I am recycling all my plastic bottles now! My building complex is doing a recycling contest between each floor, so we save up our bottles until every Monday, when they’re collected. The floor with the most bottles wins a cut of the recycling profits. This is great, even though my roommate and I had been recycling anyway. Hopefully, it’ll make more people do it too.

I think I’m going to try going vegetarian again, maybe. I’m doing it whenever I remember, which is not often. But I’ll try to ease my way back, I guess.

Good news: I’ve started recycling bottles and cans religiously, made easy with the recycling bins in our trash room, conveniently two doors down from my room. Also, no more driving for me means less gas used in my family.

Bad news: I’ve started eating meat again. A LOT of meat.

So-so news: Still using natural products and trying to buy natural things.

I talked to a vegetarian yesterday, and felt so guilty. :(