Compute Your Ecological Footprint

Humans need resources to survive, and we call these resources "the L.A.W.S. of nature:" Light (Energy, really), Air, Water and Soil (or Shelter if you prefer...). We also tend to use more than the basic essentials. Everything we use from toothpaste to televisions came from the earth in one form or another. This is not a bad thing as long as we don't take more than the earth can provide.

Your ecological footprint is not the same as the one you make with your foot, it is much bigger! An ecological footprint is how much space or land you need to survive. The ecological footprint is the area needed for all the Producers (and Consumers) that you Consume, as well as all the Decomposers needed to reprocess all your waste! This includes where your food and water come from, plants needed to convert your CO2 back into O2, clean your sewage back into fresh water, and even where your garbage goes! It also includes some of your Cultural needs (in addition to the Abiotic and Biotic needs listed above) such as where you live, play and go to school. Everyone has some kind of footprint on the earth. Some footprints are bigger than others. It is not a bad thing because we all use things to meet our needs.

Why is this important?

It is important to be aware of how you are impacting the world around you. The purpose of this calculator is for you to get an idea of what choices you have to make a difference. If we are to continue to have good living conditions, we must make sure that we're not using up all of what nature has to offer more quickly than it is being produced and we aren't producing waste faster than nature can absorb it.

Compute your ecological footprint!