2008 Woodie Awards
Reader's Forum: Student asks peers to calculate their ecological footprints
Madeleine Rose Parsigian and Emily Weitzel
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
To the Editor:
Ever wonder what impact you are making on the environment? We've been studying ecological footprints and how our everyday life, from the food we eat to the miles we drive, affects the impact we have on the world around us. The results have been both surprising and serious.
An ecological footprint compares what humans use or consume on a daily basis to what the planet has to offer in terms of resources. Depending on the area of the world an ecological footprint can estimate what resources can regenerate enough to sustain humanity.
It can be measured in many ways, but usually in acres. For instance, the average ecological footprint in the United States is 24 acres per person, however, there is only an average of four and a half biologically productive acres available per person.
We were alarmed and disturbed by the gap in these two numbers and felt that more people should have a comprehensive view of how their daily lives affect the world. We wondered what Drew's average student footprint would be like, so we asked different students from different dorms to tell us a little about their way of living.
We asked students living in Welch Hall, the Womyn's Concerns House, the Townhouses, Graduate Housing and Asbury. In order to calculate their ecological footprint, they were asked to review their food intake, their travel, their living space and any goods or services they may have purchased.
On average, the acres used per student was 13 acres, which if everyone lived like those students, we would need 2.9 planets to sustain everyone's way of living. Food was the highest, especially with those living in either the Townhouses or Asbury or even Graduate housing as they have access to their own kitchen and can buy more of their own food to cook with. Mobility was the lowest since we all walk to class and into town if need be. Those who do not walk into town usually carpooled with others in order to get where they need to be.
In terms of shelter, the Townhouses and Welch discovered they had the lowest impact by sharing a house with many people or a small room with just one person. Womyn's Concerns had the largest impact of all. How can these numbers be reduced?
One option would be a new concept called a "green dorm." A green dorm is an ecologically friendly dorm that would focus on using less energy and electricity to run. They are currently building one at Stanford University.
We thought with the new dorm about to be built it would be a worthwhile investment for the administration to think about including some of these eco-friendly ideas they will be implementing. Find out your footprint now at: http://www.footprintnetwork.org and find out what you can do to be more environmentally friendly.
Madeleine Rose Parsigian ('09)
Emily Weitzel ('08)
Ever wonder what impact you are making on the environment? We've been studying ecological footprints and how our everyday life, from the food we eat to the miles we drive, affects the impact we have on the world around us. The results have been both surprising and serious.
An ecological footprint compares what humans use or consume on a daily basis to what the planet has to offer in terms of resources. Depending on the area of the world an ecological footprint can estimate what resources can regenerate enough to sustain humanity.
It can be measured in many ways, but usually in acres. For instance, the average ecological footprint in the United States is 24 acres per person, however, there is only an average of four and a half biologically productive acres available per person.
We were alarmed and disturbed by the gap in these two numbers and felt that more people should have a comprehensive view of how their daily lives affect the world. We wondered what Drew's average student footprint would be like, so we asked different students from different dorms to tell us a little about their way of living.
We asked students living in Welch Hall, the Womyn's Concerns House, the Townhouses, Graduate Housing and Asbury. In order to calculate their ecological footprint, they were asked to review their food intake, their travel, their living space and any goods or services they may have purchased.
On average, the acres used per student was 13 acres, which if everyone lived like those students, we would need 2.9 planets to sustain everyone's way of living. Food was the highest, especially with those living in either the Townhouses or Asbury or even Graduate housing as they have access to their own kitchen and can buy more of their own food to cook with. Mobility was the lowest since we all walk to class and into town if need be. Those who do not walk into town usually carpooled with others in order to get where they need to be.
In terms of shelter, the Townhouses and Welch discovered they had the lowest impact by sharing a house with many people or a small room with just one person. Womyn's Concerns had the largest impact of all. How can these numbers be reduced?
One option would be a new concept called a "green dorm." A green dorm is an ecologically friendly dorm that would focus on using less energy and electricity to run. They are currently building one at Stanford University.
We thought with the new dorm about to be built it would be a worthwhile investment for the administration to think about including some of these eco-friendly ideas they will be implementing. Find out your footprint now at: http://www.footprintnetwork.org and find out what you can do to be more environmentally friendly.
Madeleine Rose Parsigian ('09)
Emily Weitzel ('08)
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