Discover your Impact on the Planet
Have you ever wondered what your environmental impact on the planet is? Now you can find out thanks to an online tool that allows you to calculate your ecological footprint. This calculator, developed by the Sustainable Living Foundation (FVS), gives you the opportunity to know the size of your ecological footprint and learn how to reduce it.
The objective of this tool is to raise people’s awareness about the impact of their lifestyle on the environment. Through a series of questions related to food, recycling, transportation, home air conditioning and other aspects, you will be able to discover how many planets it would take to sustain your lifestyle if it were generalized to all of humanity.
Revealing Data
To date, more than 866,000 people from different countries, including Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, have used this calculator. The results show that, if the lifestyle of the participants were replicated globally, 2.51 planets would be needed to meet current consumption.
The data also reveal significant differences between the Spanish autonomies. For example, it has been observed that the least sustainable lifestyles are found in Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, while the Canary Islands, the Basque Country and Asturias stand out for being more sustainable.
Moving towards Sustainability
According to Jesús Alonso, environmental technician at the FVS, it is essential to move towards sustainable use of natural resources to reduce our ecological footprint. Although the data do not represent Spanish society as a whole, they reflect consumption that exceeds the planet’s capacity to sustain it.
Alonso emphasizes that it is necessary to reduce meat consumption, encourage the use of varied transportation that includes options such as public transportation, cycling or carpooling, and reduce clothing consumption. In addition, he highlights the importance of reducing the use of toxic cleaning products, opting for energy self-consumption and recycling appropriately.
Triple Win
When addressing the issue of sustainability, Alonso points out that the objective should be to benefit the environment, our health and our pocketbook. Reducing meat consumption, opting for durable clothing, buying second-hand and being conscious of water use are some of the actions that can contribute to this triple win.
If you are interested in calculating your ecological footprint and learning more about how to reduce it, you can access the calculator at the following link: [Ecological Footprint Calculator](https://www.vidasostenible.org/proyectos/calculadora-de-huella- ecological/)
Contact
If you want more information on this topic, you can contact the Environment section by email: [email protected]
