Some Facts to Consider

My book is available! If you pre-ordered it on Amazon.com, you should have received your copy by now. (Thanks, Suzanne, for alerting me.)

Here are some facts from Thrifty Green to motivate you to examine your consumption habits through the lens of Nature and possibly make some changes based on what you find.

·      An ecological footprint is the measure of our demand for the earth’s resources as compared to the earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources and absorb and neutralize the corresponding waste. In other words, it represents our habits of consumption of energy and raw materials, plus our creation of waste products such as garbage and pollution. Individuals, companies, and countries can all have an ecological footprint. According to the latest calculations available from the United Nations, in 2009, humans on the planet collectively had an ecological footprint of 1.4, meaning it would take 1.4 earths to produce the resources we consume and to render our waste harmless.

o      Potential Change: Start conserving now. Use less energy and buy less stuff.

·      According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for over half the energy use in a typical American home. Also, houses consume 20 percent of the energy in the United States.

o      Potential Change: Turn your heat down and your air conditioner up.

·      According to the Energy Information Administration, America has a 234-year supply of coal at today’s rate of consumption. However, the organization calculates an increased rate of consumption of 0.6% per year through 2030. With that growth rate, they recalculate that our reserves will be exhausted in 146 years.

o      Potential Change: Pressure your state’s lawmakers to require a shift to renewable energy resources.

·      In the October, 2009, issue of Consumer Report, it is reported that “almost four in five states anticipate water shortages by 2013.”

o      Potential Change: Get rid of your lawn. Plant xeric (low water use) plants instead.

·      According to the Organic Seed Alliance, the United States has lost 97 percent of its original fruit and vegetable varieties because of modern agribusiness practices.

o      Potential Change: Buy organic, heirloom produce to create a demand to bring those varieties back.

·      Plastic is a petroleum product.

o      Potential Change: Use glass for storage containers, and recycle all plastic that makes its way into your house.

·      In 2006, Americans generated 251 million tons of trash, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than half of which came from residential sources.

o      Potential Change: Recycle everything. And I mean everything: glass, plastic, paper, newspaper, cardboard, batteries, old cell phones, clothes, furniture, and anything else you consider throwing out. Recycle it or donate it instead.