by Rana Williamson

Created on: February 28, 2009   Last Updated: April 24, 2009

Like any other habit you want to change, understanding your ecological footprint means monitoring your behavior and being accountable for your actions. If you want to lead a greener lifestyle, you first have to understand how your current habits and choices impact the planet's ecosystem.

The major elements of your ecological footprint include:

- Type of personal transportation. - Do you drive an efficient vehicle? Do you ever take public transportation? Do you ever choose to walk?

- Travel choices. - When you fly, have you considered offsetting the trip by purchasing a carbon credit?

- Home energy use. - Are you doing something as simple as turning off lights you don't need?

- Buying habits. - Are you supporting companies that are environmentally responsible?

- Eating habits. - Do you buy organic?

- Service purchases. - Do you know how your electrical company generates power? "Clean" coal or wind turbines?

With our growing awareness of the seriousness of global warming, we should all be trying to use fewer resources. As with any behavior modification, you have to understand where you "are" to figure out where you want to be. There are a number of good online ecological footprint calculators as well as topic specific calculators that can help:

Earth Day Network - Overall footprint calculator.

Redefining Progress - Ecological footprint quiz.

WWF - Overall footprint calculator.

InfinitePower - Electric power pollution calculator.

Travel Calculator - How do your trips affect the environment?

Environmentalists tell us that every human being on earth has 4.5 acres of available land to sustain their existence, but in the United States alone, the average ecological footprint is 24 acres per person. Obviously as stewards of our planet, we have a lot of work to do to reverse this situation. Some suggestions for reducing your own impact on the environment include:

1. Cut down on the use of chemical pesticides indoors and out. Buy organic, pesticide free produce to support its production and to protect your health and that of your family. (Also look for meat and milk products that are certified free of growth hormones.)

2. When disposing of chemicals like paint or plastics, use local recycling services. These items should not be put in with your regular garbage. Check with your city government to learn the correct disposal method.

3. Stop using plastic bags. Buy canvas shopping bags and carry them with you. They last longer, hold more, and are much easier to carry. (Use the same philosophy when it comes to paper plates, napkins, and plastic dinnerware. Just say no.)

4. Conserve water by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and installing regulating devices in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.

5. Take measures to conserve electricity like using compact fluorescent bulbs, turning off electrical devices when they are not in use, and ridding your home of electrical vampires (devices that continue to draw power even when turned off.)

6. Start your own garden, even if you do nothing more than grow tomatoes and herbs in containers. Also, support your local farmer's market.

Taking the first step toward ecological responsibility, invariably leads to the next step. You can begin to change your lifestyle and lower your ecological footprint one small behavior at a time. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you alone can do nothing to help the planet. Individual actions add up to big changes, the very thing our Mother Earth needs from us now.

Learn more about this author, Rana Williamson.
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