Footprints

When caretakers ask us to "Take only pictures, leave only footprints" they are taking care of human history, and to our way of looking at things footprints are not anything to concern us. We think we walk on top of the earth and we see ourselves as too small, too minuscule and ultimately too unimportant to matter. But look, long before humans even started releasing carbon into the air through campfires, some human walker left behind a footprint that matters. If a lone human can leave a 1.5 million year legacy, imagine what 6.77 billion of us are doing?

The idea of a ecological footprint is measuring the impact individuals have on the planet through day to day living, using energy and consuming products. If you take one of many quizzes and calculators, you'll probably find that we need something like four Earths to enable you to live sustainably the way you live now.


Given that we only have one, one hopes that this knowledge will motivate you to reduce your footprint. I'm afraid that many people, even greenies, read that we need a couple more planets to get by and the topic suddenly becomes just too damn big to contemplate. With what but terror can we conceive that there just isn't enough planet for us?

Check out this site to assess your ecological footprint if you dare, but if not just take a look at their recommendations for reducing it. It helps make our job a little more bite-sized by organizing our activities into transportation, food, housing and other consumer behavior.