In The Great Purging Project (downsizing my stuff for my sanity and the ultimate goal of fitting into a tiny house), I came across an old Sierra magazine from 2003. In it was an Ecological Footprint quiz from the group Redefining Progress (who don't seem to exist anymore? I Googled and the best I could find was a Twitter that hasn't been posted to since 2009). Anyway, I took the quiz and thought it was my favorite one so far, because it was far more detailed (so many are automatically like: "You're American? Automatic 20 acres to start!"). I know I get dinged for being in extant infrastructure and systems beyond my control, but I also am really a weirdo compared to other Americans. I want to see where what I do makes a difference, compared to things I can protest but otherwise am not in charge of.
Curious where you stand? Do math with me!
image from uga dot edu
This quiz estimates the productive land and water needed by the resources you consume, and is apparently a simplified version. It also does not factor in childbearing decisions.
Food:
1 How often do you eat animal foods (anything not vegan, meat, fish, dairy)?
A. Never (vegan): 0.46
B. Infrequently (lacto-ovo vegetarian; eggs and dairy a few times a week): 0.59
C. Occasionally (flexitarian or lacto-ovo veg; eggs/dairy almost daily): 0.73
D. Often (meat once or twice a week): 0.86
E. Very often (meat daily): 1.0
F. Almost always (meat and eggs/dairy in almost every meal): 1.14
2 How much of your food is processed, packaged, or not locally grown (where local = 200 mile radius)?
A. Most: 1.1
B. 3/4: 1.0
C. Half: 0.9
D. 1/4: 0.79
E. Very little: 0.69
Multiply your answer to question one x answer to question two x 5.5.
Q1 x Q2 x 5.5 = ____acres. This is your food footprint.
image from populationeducation
Shelter:
3 How big is your home?
A. 2500 sqft or larger: 1.9
B. 1900-2500 sqft: 1.5
C. 1500-1900 sqft: 1.3
D. 1000-1500 sqft: 0.9
E. 500-1000 sqft: 0.6
F. 500 sqft or smaller: 0.3
4 Is your home:
A. a free-standing house: 1.0
B. a multistory apartment building: 0.8
C. a green-design home: 0.5
5 Do you take energy conservation and efficiency measures in your home?
A. Yes: 0.75
B. No: 1.0
6 How many humans live in your home, including you?
Add one for every person up to seven humans; above seven humans, it stays 7.0.
Multiply Q3x Q4 x Q5 x 13.26 ÷ Q 6= _____acres. This is your shelter footprint.
image from iloveecology
Mobility:
7 On average, how many miles do you travel on public transport each week?
A. 200+: 0.86
B. 75-200: 0.42
C. 25-75: 0.15
D. 1-25: 0.04
E. 0: 0
8 On average, how many miles do you travel each week in a car?
A. 400+: 1.91
B. 300-400: 1.43
C. 200-300: 1.0
D. 100-200: 0.55
E. 10-100: 0.12
F. 0-10: 0
~If F is your answer, skip the next two questions.
9 How many mpg does your car get (if you don't own a car but get rides, guesstimate)?
A. more than 50: 0.31
B. 35-50: 0.46
C. 25-35: 0.65
D. 15-25: 0.98
E. less than 15: 1.54
10 How often do you ride with others, rather than alone (it doesn't specify but I'm guessing taxis don't count, since they are driving extra to come get you, and taking you there, when they wouldn't be making that trip except for you)?
A. Almost never: 1.5
B. About 25%: 1.0
C. About 50%: 0.75
D. About 75%: 0.6
E. Almost always: 0.5
Multiply Q 8 x Q9 x Q10 x 4 = ___acres. This is your car subtotal.
11 Approximately how many hours do you spend flying each year?
A. 100 (one coast to coast US round-trip per month): 6.0
B. 25 ( 2 or 3 c2c US round-trips per year): 1.5
C. 10 (1 c2c per year): 0.6
D. 3: 0.18
E. 0: 0
Add Q 7 + car subtotal + Q 11 = _____acres. This is your mobility footprint.
image from blogspot
Trash:
12 Compared with people in your neighborhood, how much trash do you throw away?
A. Much less: 0.75
B. About the same: 1.0
C. Much more: 1.25
Add It Up:
Add shelter + mobility = ____ (we'll call this SM)
Multiply trash x SM x .9 = _____ (goods & services)
Add Food + Shelter + Mobility + Goods and Services = _____ acres. This is your total footprint.
How'd You Do?
The average American footprint is 24 acres per person. Canadians, 17. Italians, 9. Pakistanis, 2. The Earth provides 4.5 productive acres per person.
If everyone lived as you do ( your total footprint ÷ 4.5), we would need ___ planets.
These numbers were based on world population 15 years ago.
In case you're wondering,
I got 13.25278 acres for my total, 51% of the average American. Once I get my tiny house, I will be down to 6.7568125 acres: 28%. That's 2.72 planets today, and 1.5 planets in my tiny house. That's presuming the other factors stay the same, of course. What did I do best at? I walk almost everywhere. I've been on the bus two or three times all year; other people's cars about as often; otherwise I walk.
Think tiny house thoughts for me, please! 💚
Referral links:
Get free Manna, crypto UBI: https://www.mannabase.com/?ref=6e4b50d35e
Join Simbi, the barter economy website: https://simbi.com/wren-paasch/welcome