6 measures to reduce your ecological footprint

The ecological footprint is a environmental impact indicator that generates human demand for consumption of the planet’s natural resources.

Biologists tell us, for example, that marine ecosystems are in a very serious situation. And the ecological capacity of the Earth to regenerate these ecosystems is also related to the ecological footprint.

What is the ecological footprint and how is it measured?

The ecological footprint It is defined as the total productive area necessary to create the resources consumed by an average citizen and absorb the waste it generates. The measurement includes the carbon footprint, the water footprint and also four systems for measuring the impact on the land with respect to agriculture, livestock, forests and infrastructure.

The Water footprint takes into account the water used to produce for human consumption, and the carbon footprint it includes the amount of forests needed to absorb the carbon produced by our consumption. Thus, it informs us about the amount of terrestrial resources used.

There are two types of footprints:

direct primary fingerprint, personal, derived from lifestyle and expenditure on energy and transportation.indirect secondary footprintwhich occurs from the production to the disappearance of goods and services.

In the end, everything creates a carbon footprintwhich is calculated in kilos or tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by an activity, individual, organization, event, service, or product. Breathing, for example, produces two kilos of CO2 per hour.

What can you do to reduce your ecological footprint?

Some habits and reflections on our consumption that help us reduce our impact on the planet.

And it is that our actions matter. Healthy habits for us tend to be healthy for the Earth as well, because we are beings created in this immense laboratory that is nature, with its same logic.

1. Eat fresh food

The natural and fresh food (and more so if they are organic and seasonal) have a lower carbon footprint as they do not come from industrial agriculture (very intensive in the use of pesticides, industrial inputs, water and energy) and have not been processed (with its water and energetic).

For example:

The carbon footprint of a regular banana is about 25 grams of CO2. The carbon footprint of a small tuna can is 200 grams (due to its processing and industrial fishing). The carbon footprint of a bottle of wine comes to be 1.2 or 1.5 kg. The carbon footprint of 1 kg of beefabout 8-12 kg of CO2 (from your consumption of cereals, water, etc.).

Therefore, a vegetable and natural diet suits the earth better and our health. Here are some ideas to reduce your environmental impact in the shopping cart.

2. Reduce your individual transportation footprint

If we have contracted conventional electricity (fossil fuels), we travel by plane five times a year around Europe and travel about 25,000 km per year, we will leave a individual footprint of seven tons of CO2.

On the other hand, if we choose to use renewable energy, we take the bus and we only do two flights, it will be about three tons, almost 60% less.

3. Small changes that you can make

If you don’t go by car, you reduce 5,300-1,000 kg of CO2 per year.If you travel less by plane, you reduce 2,800-700 kg of CO2 per year.If you contract green energy, you reduce 2,500-100 kg of CO2 per year. If you eat more vegetables, you reduce 1,600-300 kg of CO2 per year.If you adjust the heating less than 24 ºC in winter, you save 900 kg of CO2 per year.If you avoid packaging and reuse bottles and bagsyou reduce about 500 kg of CO2 per year.If you dry clothes outdoors, you reduce 440-210 kg of CO2 per year.If you reduce the remains of food, you reduce 300-170 kg of CO2 per year.If you put the washing machine only twice a weekwith cold water or at 40 ºC, you avoid about 225 kg of CO2 per year.If you plant a tree, you reduce 60-6 kg of CO2 per year.

4. Reduces indirect water consumption

On the other hand, although it is laudable to reduce individual water use, in reality much of the world’s water consumption is generated by producing the things we buy, according to researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

some are needed 15,415 liters of water to produce a kilo of beefso avoiding meat consumption reduces our footprint.

Richer, more consumption

Researchers from the Norwegian university also analyzed the per capita environmental impacts of each country, and found that they mostly follow a predictable pattern: the richer the country, the more its inhabitants consume. The countries with the highest consumption have an environmental impact about 5.5 times greater than the world average.

USA it is the worst, with a footprint per capita of 18.6 tons of CO2.Luxembourgwith a footprint per capita of 18.5 tons of CO2.Australiawith a footprint per capita of 17.7 tons of CO2.Norwaywith a per capita footprint of 10.3 tons of CO2, three times the world average of 3.4 tons.

5. Use nuclear or renewable electricity

These results also reflect the effects of the energy sources on which the countries depend to obtain electric power.

The prevalence of nuclear or hydroelectric power in Sweden, France, Japan and Norway means that these countries have a lower carbon footprint than countries with similar incomes, but with more fossil fuels in their energy mix.

Of course, the ecological footprint is considerably less if the electrical mix only uses renewable energyand as much as possible, fossil fuels, nuclear and hydroelectric energy are dispensed with.

6. Less is always more

Fortunately, there is a low impact culture that is not at odds with aesthetics, pleasure or comfort, where “less is more”. A lifestyle that does not imply imposing fanatical restrictions on yourself.

He 80% of the final consumption of the ecological footprint derives from households: they are the greatest demand for resources, followed by capital-investment and governments.

Therefore, even if we reduce the environmental impact by turning off the lights that we do not use, the most serious environmental problem, according to a study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is that generated by goods and services we purchase.

acting is essential

As Global Footprint points out, today we demand 1.7 planet Earths in natural resources; that is to say, we consume and produce beyond the capacity of the planet to renew. In 2030, according to WWF, there will be two Earths, and in 2050, almost three.

The Americans would need five countries to cover their consumption and the Europeans, three Europes. In addition, 20% of the globe wastes 80% of the planet’s resources, according to the United Nations Development Program.

In the last four decades, the production and consumptionwhich has accelerated climate change, unprecedented amounts of waste have been generated, and the oceans have become acidic.

In addition, it has increased gap between rich and poor and the labor market has become precarious. All of this has a lot to do with how goods and services are produced and consumed.

Changes at the European level

That study, recently published in Journal of Industrial Ecologyis part of the Glamurs project, funded by the EU and designed to promote greener lifestyles and environmentally responsible consumption in Europe.

The project has been carried out in 43 countries, which represent 80-90% of the European trade flow, and in 200 sectors, where the environmental impact was observed from the perspective of citizens.