Where does your footprint fall on the sustainability scale? Are you better or worse than the households featured on Wa$ted? Are you recycling as much as you could? Do you use phosphate-free soap and detergent? When you shop, do you forgo paper or plastic in favor of your own recycled cotton tote?
Your answers to these questions plus others in this carbon footprint calculator from The Nature Conservancy will help you to measure your climate impact.
Chances are, it's larger than it should be, but don't fret -- something as simple as cutting back on how much meat you eat can have a dramatic impact on your sustainability. One Cornell University study found that an average quarter pounder siphons 600 gallons of water, 1.2 pounds of feed grain, and 6 square feet of former prairie land, plus the loss of five times the patty's weight in topsoil. Talk about an aftertaste!
Other ways you can reduce your footprint include walking instead of driving, recycling as much as possible, and buying a green home, and greenovating your current home with more sustainable features.
