Holidays and our ecological footprint … actions to make a difference
The current situation
The ecological footprint of the human populations throughout the world exceeds by 30% the biological capacity (or biocapacity) of the planet to renew the resources that the biosphere can produce. This is critical information is revealed in the « Ecological Fooprint » report published in the 2008 Atlas. In 2013 it is estimated that from August 20 we have exceeded the limit of the biocapacity of the planet.
Our track record is very poor, in terms of ecological footprint. If all humans consumed at the same rate as the population of our country, the biocapacity required to meet this consumption would be greater than three and a half times that of the earth! On the other hand, in contrast to this huge over-consumption, there are now one billion people in the world suffering from malnourishment, according to the latest FAO report.
Green Christmas objectives
The upcoming holiday season is a great opportunity to start correcting this chocking situation. The holiday season is the time of year when we consume the most. We often buy useless objects which, consume a large amount of energy. Taking the time to make more in depth reflection will lead us to a different consumption, a different behaviour. It is the developed countries that are mainly responsible for this worsening of the ecological problem. The unbridled increase in consumption in the so-called developed countries is causing the imbalance between the biocapacity of ecosystems to produce enough resources to meet the ecological footprint we impose on the planet.
Our green Christmas solutions
Here is a series of actions and challenges that would help reduce our ecological footprint on the planet.
Holidays and our ecological footprint … actions to take
Categories | I decrease my |
---|---|
Energy | Energy-hungry decorations The level of heating and lighting at night My hours in front of the television |
Food | My consumption of foods that travelled a great distance My meat consumption Frozen dishes |
Transportation | My motorized trips My shopping in stores Using my car |
Gifts | Toys with batteries The length of my shopping list Commercila gift wraping |
Utilities | My waste My consumption of bottled water |
Categories | I increase |
---|---|
Energy | The DIY natural decorations Insulation and caulking of doors and windows My reading hours |
Food | My consumption of locally produced foods My consumption of beans and vegetables Cooking with children |
Transportation | My daily walk The use of public transportation |
Gifts | Buying local crafts and toys My availability to people I love The DIY of my packaging |
Utilities | The use of the compost bin My tap water consumption |
Green Christmas Challenge
For those who love challenges Energy Challenge:
I will completely disconnect TV from December 25, 2009 to January 1, 2010
Challenge food: All the food I eat for a week is of local origin
Transportation Challenge: I organize a ride in one of my trips
Gift Challenge: I volunteer two hours at an organization of my choice
Utility Challenge: During a day I produce no waste
Source: Laurier Busque, November 22, 2013