Eye Opener #1: MY footprint went from a normal size 6 to this.... oh no!

• Summarize your findings.

According to the Ecological Footprint Quiz by "Redefining Progress" website. I have a huge foot and I had no idea. I was currently under the assumption that I had relatively small feet, only a size six. But, whoa was I wrong, when taking the quiz I started to get a bit nervous, just reading the questions I knew I wasn't scoring so good on this quiz! Turns out that " If everyone lived my lifestyle we would need: 5.3 earths" Oh my goodness, I had no idea, I recycle, I try not to use that much water, and still this horrible news! It is time for me to do some researching... what I am I doing wrong? These findings are not only surprising to me but something needs to be done because unfortunately we don't have 5.3 earths! To summarize my findings further, the website shows that my footprint in global acres by consumption. My food footprint was the highest, followed by carbon, then goods, and lastly my housing footprint, for a cumulative total of The following graph showcases this further.

• What is your reaction?

Oh my goodness, Like I said I had no idea that my footprint is so big. I recycle, I try not to use that much water, and still this horrible news! It is time for me to do some researching... what I am I doing wrong? These findings are not only surprising to me but something needs to be done because unfortunately we do not have 5.3 earths! This in a way is somewhat saddening because I honestly did not expect my daily living to be having such a negative impact on the earth. I feel bad!

• What is the impact of your behaviors on the environment?

Obviously, the impact of my behaviors on the environment are very negative. As the quiz results show, if everyone live like me we would go through 5.3 earths. This showcases clearly that my individual daily living routines, and practices are not very "healthy" you could say for the earth! This assignment has been helpful for me to understand now how I affect the earth, it had never dawned on me prior to this that I, just me could have such a negative affect on the environment.

• How might you reconsider and/or adjust your behaviors to reduce your ecological footprint?

In the category on the website that states "Reduce Your Footprint".
I learned several ways in which to cut down on the impact I am currently having on the earth. I really enjoyed reading about the ways to cut down on your food footprint. It gave suggestions like eat foods that are organically certified and that are home grown, try purchases from farmers markets and local food sources. This made me think about the Whole Food Co-op and I enjoy shopping, browsing and trying the new things at the Co-op. The only draw back to shopping at the co-op is the higher cost that is associated with this store. Although the higher cost is associated with the Whole Foods Co-op, you could still shop seasonally, at local farmers markets. This is both usually cheaper and there are health benefits associated with getting out, walking around, and as well as you are buying whole foods locally! As well as eating more locally grown and whole foods, they suggested various alternative types of transportation. Such as walking and biking rather than taking the bus or driving! Again, both of which have obvious health benefits.