1. How big is your footprint and why?

My quiz results showed a cumulated footprint that accounted for about 49 global hectares (gha).

Knowing that only 15.71 global hectares are available per person on a renewable basis, this implies that

if everyone on the planet lived according to my lifestyle, we would need 3.11 earths to accommodate

our consumption habits and absorb the footprint resulting from it. (cf. Annex, Table 1.)

The quiz showed that my ecological footprint is mainly a consequence of my food habits and

my goods and services consumption choices (above country average), followed by carbon footprints.

Regarding my food habits, I tend to purchase grocery at foreigner friendly supermarkets, mostly in the

neighborhood, which doesn’t require me to take any transportation means. While this choice might

sound ecological, it tends to ignore the food mileage parameter, i.e. how far food travels to get to the

grocery store shelves. In Japan especially, food sufficiency is less than 40 %, probably due to a lack of

agricultural resources, which means that most of the food comes from other countries, thereby

generating a significant footprint. Furthermore, studies show that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions

are associated with meat consumption, and that consuming one kilogram of beef is equivalent to
Quiz result s: Ecological Foot print Quiz by Cent er for Sust ainable Economy 20 18 /0 2/0 9 19 (07

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driving 63 miles in terms of CO2 emissions, which implies that my choice of omnivore diet have a

significant impact as well. As for transportation habits, while I solely use the subway as a transportation

means to get around the city, most of my carbon footprint comes from air travel to go back to my home

country, 14000km away. Finally, regarding Goods

Myand services,Footprint
Ecological tend to consume within my means and
- Quiz Results

have adopted recycling habits since I came to Japan. If everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need:

2. Which changes did you make that had a meaningful impact on your footprint, and which were
= 1.62 Earths
less meaningful?
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(Changes made are depicted in the Annex. Table 1. Omitted questions reflect unchanged answers.)
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 The main changes in my ecological footprint included better energy-saving habits, and the

purchase of offsets for carbon emissions associated with my home energy use and transportation.

These efforts helped decrease my Carbon footprint by some 20%. Regarding food habits, shifting my

consumption from omnivore to vegan, and opting for more organic and sustainably produced products,

purchased at natural food markets, reduced my footprint by over 80%. As for Housing footprint, efforts

included the utilization of water-saving features (low flow shower heads and faucets), and opting for

biodegradable or non-toxic cleaning products, led to a reduction of my housing footprint by 75%.

Finally, better consumption habits included limiting purchases of new items (unless when necessary),

and selecting items that are labeled as recycled, natural, organic, or made of alternative materials,

resulting in 27% reduction is goods and services footprint.

Making those changes perfectly highlighted the impact of my personal choices in everyday life,

and strikingly, the resulting ecological footprint was reduced by almost half, i.e. from 49gha to

25.42gha.

3. Being totally honest with yourself (and me), how likely is it that you will do any of the things
that you selected in order to reduce your footprint?

Some of the changes were easy to make, causing minor discomfort, and the awareness if their impact

was sufficient to prompt action, such as purchasing water saving features and adopting water and

energy saving habits. Other suggestions however, require more energy and stronger commitment to

implement. I don’t think I can convert to a vegan diet, but would be happy to reduce my meat intake

to once a week.

4. How much control do you feel that you as an individual have over your footprint?

As consumers, we might have some power in shaping markets and production patterns through our

purchasing choices that we vote in the market, supporting or rejecting certain products and corporate

practices. However, as Economic models are based on a definition of growth that is tightly linked to

increased consumption, which in modern days translates into resources depletion, deterioration of
 ecosystems and quality of life, any significant action toward more sustainable lifestyle seem to remain

outside the consumer’s sphere of influence. Ultimately, product design and delivery remains

predominantly controlled by producers, and portrays the materialistic lifestyles of the most affluent

groups in society are widely promoted by mass media to encourage consumption. In this context, it is

rather difficult to imagine that consumers actions might have a significant change globally, unless

serious changes in production and consumption systems are promoted.

Status quo After improvement

Energy saving features Energy saving features
Carbon Footprint

Energy saving habits Energy saving habits

Have you purchased offsets for carbon emissions Have you purchased offsets for carbon emissions
associated with your home energy use and associated with your home energy use and
transportation? transportation?

What best describes your diet? What best describes your diet?
Food Footprint

Where do you obtain most of your food? Where do you obtain most of your food?

select foods that are certified organic or sustainably select foods that are certified organic or sustainably
produced? produced?
 Water saving features Water saving features
Housing Footprint

How often do you select cleaning products that are How often do you select cleaning products that are
biodegradable or non-toxic? biodegradable or non-toxic?
Quiz result s: Ecological Foot print Quiz by Cent er for Sust ainable Economy 20 18 /0 2/0 9 19 (07

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How often do you buy new things to replace old ones? How often do you buy new things to replace old ones?
Goods & Services Footprint

My Ecological Footprint - Quiz Results

If everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need:

When you buy clothing or paper products, how often do When you buy clothing or paper products, how often do
you select items labeled as recycled, natural, organic, or you select items labeled as recycled, natural, organic, or
made of alternative fibers such as hemp or Tencel? made of alternative fibers such as hemp or Tencel?
= 1.62 Earths

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Total Ecological Footprint

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Products used to clean floors, carpets, bathrooms, and other building elements often contain harmful
chemicals that can have serious human health effects and contaminate water supplies, fish, and
wildlife if they are poured down drains, circulated through ventilation systems, or disposed of
outdoors. Environmental damage can also occur during the development, manufacture, and transport
of these products. Fortunately, biodegradable and non-toxic alternatives can significantly reduce or
eliminate these impacts altogether while providing the same level of cleanliness.

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE AND OUR ECONOMIC FOOTPRINT

The faster we buy new items, the faster we deplete resources and the more likely it is that we are
exceeding the Earth’s regenerative capacity. Unfortunately, today’s economy is designed to convince
us to buy often and replace items that are in perfectly good working order. Planned obsolescence – the
deliberate manufacturing of products to wear out quickly – adds to the problem. To counter this, we
can try to repair things as much as possible and only buy products that are designed to last.

TOWARDS A ZERO-WASTE SOCIETY

Recycling our wastes has enormous environmental and economic benefits in the form of reduced
landfill space, fewer demands for raw materials, less energy consumption, less air and water pollution,
lower waste-disposal bills, and cheaper goods. Recycling one metric ton of paper saves 17 trees. It takes
40 - 95% less energy to produce goods with recycled aluminum, glass, plastic, or paper than it does to
manufacture them with raw materials. Communities throughout the world are striving for zero-waste
economies where the outputs from each resource use are turned into inputs for another use. Zero
waste does not aim to simply manage waste, but eliminate its creation in the first place.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint

Use cleaner transport

 Walk, bike, or take public transit whenever possible.

 Avoid allowing your car to idle. If you'll be waiting for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine
(except in traffic). And don't take the drive-through-park the car and walk inside instead.
 Have your vehicle serviced regularly to keep the emission control systems operating at peak
efficiency. Check your car's air filter monthly, and keep the tires adequately inflated to
maximize gas mileage.
 Avoid short airplane trips-take a bus or train instead.

Add energy-saving features to your home

 Install compact fluorescent bulbs in all your home light fixtures-but remember, compact
fluorescents contain mercury, so look for low-mercury models and be sure to dispose of old
bulbs safely through your local hazardous waste program.
 Weatherproof your home. Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated, and consider
double-pane windows. Eliminate drafts with caulking, weather strips, and storm windows and
doors.
 Insulate your water heater. Even better, switch to a tankless water heater, so your water will
be heated only as you use it.
 Choose energy efficient appliances.
Adopt energy-saving habits

 Keep thermostat relatively low in winter and ease up on the air conditioning in summer. Clean
or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended to keep the A/C operating at peak
efficiency.
 Unplug your electronics when not in use. To make it easier, use a power strip. Even when
turned off, items like your television, computer, and cellphone charger still sip power.
 Dry your clothes outside whenever possible.
 Make minimal use of power equipment when landscaping.
 Defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly.
 Choose green electricity. Many utilities give you the option to purchase electricity generated
by wind and solar power for a small rate surcharge.
 Purchase carbon offsets to make up for the energy use you can't eliminate.

Reduce your Food Footprint

 Eat more local, organic, in-season foods.

 Plant a garden-it doesn't get more local than that.
 Shop at your local farmer's market or natural foods store. Look for local, in-season foods that
haven't traveled long distances to reach you.
 Choose foods with less packaging to reduce waste.
 Eat lower on the food chain-going meatless for just one meal a week can make a difference.
Globally, it has been estimated that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with
meat consumption.

Reduce your Housing Footprint

Choose sustainable building materials, furnishings, and cleaning products.

 Explore green design features for your building, like passive solar heating, a rainwater
catchment or grey water recycling system, and recycled materials.
 Choose efficient appliances, including low flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets.
 Choose furnishings that are second-hand, recycled, or sustainably produced.
 Plant drought tolerant plants in your garden and yard.
 Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products.

Adopt water-saving habits

 Take shorter, less frequent showers-this not only saves water, but the energy necessary to heat
it.
 Don't use the garbage disposal. Compost instead.
 Run the dishwasher and the laundry machine only when full.
 Wash cars rarely, or better yet, take them to a carwash. Commercial carwashes use less water
per wash than home washers, and they are also required to drain used water into the sewage
system, rather than storm drains, which protects aquatic life.
 Avoid hosing down or power-washing your deck, walkways, or driveway.
 Regularly look for and fix leaks.

Reduce your Goods and Services Footprint

 Buy less! Replace items only when you really need to.
 Recycle all your paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic. Don't forget electronics!
  Compost food waste for the garden. Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable
(biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases
(a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill.
 Buy recycled products, particularly those labeled "post-consumer waste."

Need to reconcile consumption with freedom and responsibility

Having the appropriate information on the impacts of their daily choices as consumers, as well as for

workable solutions and alternatives.