February 15, 2007

very now and again I like taking the Eco Footprint Quiz which is online. Alot of people take it look at it and freak out. They either then clean up their act a bit or they think the test is bogus. I use the test differently.

I do not always just look at what my results are compared to everyone else's in the area or in the world. I look to see if my 'report card' is dropping or raising every 6-12 months. I know the test has variables in it. Like how many times a week I eat meat and it does not even ask if it is seasonally I eat meat or if I raise it, or if it is grass or grain fed.

For instance:
if I was in Oregon my score would be:

	FOOD	3.7
	MOBILITY	0.7
	SHELTER	7.4
	GOODS/SERVICES	5.4
	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	17

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

and here in Canada it is :

	FOOD	2.8
	MOBILITY	0.1
	SHELTER	0.7
	GOODS/SERVICES	0.6
	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	4.2

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

Pretty big difference, especially most of all my answers were the same except for people amounts who lived in the home. Especially since most of our food is trucked here and in Oregon, alot of it was grown and canned locally, so I would think Goods/Services would be higher. But just do as I do and use it as a comparison with yourself and see if you are improving and where you need to improve. Try taking the Eco-Footprint Quiz today

If you need to convert square feet to square meters, go here.

I was finally felt comfortable leaving "Daisy" at home by herself this morning, to finally get to the post office and mailed the ever-growing pile of magazines, seed packets, Mystery Boxes and a few other odds and ends which had been collecting here this week, but we are currently having a major blizzard thing going on. I may get to town later this afternoon if it quits. I covered "Daisy" up just an hour ago and it looks like I have a white cow head with black eyes and a black nose sticking out of a snow bank at the moment. I called my "FIL" and told him not to come to help me get her up this morning. I think it would be too dangerous for all parties involved.