How I Reduced My Ecological Footprint - Essay Example

How I Reduced My Ecological Footprint My decision to study Environmental Biology was not only for the purpose of attaining my degree, but also to learn how our daily choices affect our environment. The study of Environmental Biology enabled me to consider my connection to the ecosystem and biosphere. I felt that I had the urge to reduce the impacts I had on the environment through improving my activities. An ecological footprint is basically the portion of the environment that man uses in satisfying his needs (Beder 14). The notion of ecological footprint is used in measuring the utilization of resources in the environment by man. This measure estimates the land a person uses along with the water, energy and wastes he produces. It also estimates an individual’s carbon productions in the course of his routine activities (Beder 11). This reduction efforts help to ensure that the future creations enjoy natures safety while searching for their satisfaction. My old habits made me indulge in the wastage of resources. I used to go shopping in the supermarkets without carrying a basket. This prompted me to purchase plastic bags for carrying my products back home. I was also used to buying drinks concealed in plastic bottles. After drinking the contents of the bottles, I would dump the bottles and plastic bags in the trash can. This habits became a routine and eventually made me realize that my plastic wastes were plenty. Plastics are degrading to our environment and their improper disposal leads to phenomenon such as changes in climate and the warming of the globe. In order to reduce the amounts of plastics I was dumping, I started using recyclable bags. This recyclable bags came from a certain Santa Monica supermarket. The supermarkets management decided to introduce their use because of the impact the plastic bags had on the environment. I admire other customers who bring along their shopping baskets since they play a vital role in the conservation of the environment. The plastics are usually dumped in the ocean, and this greatly affects ocean life. However, I am confident that by properly disposing this plastics we help in the conservation of ocean life. The reduction of the electricity levels that I consume also plays an important part in conserving the energy in our environment (Beder 13). Before attending the environmental class, I usually left electrical devices plugged on even when they were not in use. I also used drying machines despite there being enough sunlight to dry my clothes. These activities resulted in the wastage of energy resources at my disposal. After learning from my mistakes, I changed from most of my previous habits and adopted behaviors that enhanced my endeavors in conserving nature. Whenever I am using an electrical device at home or in school, I always leave it unplugged to ensure that energy is conserved. The adoption of substitute energy sources such as wind, lunar and other forms of natural energy may be used to preserve energy. I have changed from using systems that consume fossil fuels when performing my routine activities. I am an active campaigner for the reduction of carbon emissions in the environment by advocating for use of natural forms of energy. To reduce the emissions I produce as a result of the lighting in my house, I have adopted the use of halogen lighting. This is because it does not produce harmful emissions and is efficient in saving energy. These practices enable me to ensure reduction of the effects of my ecological footprint. As a young child, I was greatly fascinated by the people who worked for lumbering factories. I really admired watching them cutting down trees and was aspiring to join them in the future. I viewed timber as a very important commodity that facilitates man’s development. Little did I know that the trees were only being cut down and there was nobody to plant new ones to replenish forests. The presence of trees ensures people live in clean and safe environments. This is because they help to filter out impurities from our environment. I went to school using the local buses that the authorities provide in our municipality. This was an activity that I greatly enjoyed and cherished being involved in on a daily basis. I liked travelling using the locomotives in the railway stations as a youngster since it seemed adventurous. However, after attending the classes on environmental biology and learning the effects of various fuels on nature, I did change my habits. I stopped using buses and trains as my form of transport from the moment; I realized they brought adverse effects on the environment. Nowadays, I cycle to school using my bicycle as a way of reducing my carbon print. In case my bicycle is damaged I prefer to walk to school. This is because it is not a big distance from our home though at times I use the buses and trains when travelling long distances. The process of purchasing food products that come from distant areas helps in increasing the effects on the ecological footprint. This is because these foods undergo various forms of processing that result in wastages. The inappropriate dumping of these wastes contributes to degrading of the environment. These foods are transported via several modes that consume fuel which leads to emission of harmful gases (Beder 12). The fuels end up polluting the environment and reducing the ecological footprint. Since I realized that the processing of these foreign foods along with their transportation affects nature, I resolved that I will only be consuming locally produced commodities. This is because their production and transport contributes minimally to the degradation of our environment. My eating habits have also changed since I have become more of a vegetarian. This is all in my pursuit of my mission of reducing my ecological footprint. Vegetables are locally grown and do not require further processing and transportation to reach the consumers. Meat on the other hand will mostly require the use of transport because the livestock will have to be moved from distant places. My family and I usually went for vocations in faraway places when we had long holidays. This changed the day I started going for my environmental classes. I learnt of the adverse effects airplanes had on our environment and quickly convinced the members of my family to discard the practice. It took me a lot of time to convince them to discard this practice. However, they obliged after I explained to them the effects of our travelling to nature. We have resolved to stop travelling large distances and only tour the local resorts around our home area. This helps to reduce our ecological footprint as a family since the use of airplanes produces large amounts of carbon wastes to the environment. These wastes eventually hamper the survival of plants and animals in our environment. My parents have also adopted the use of alternative insulation methods to keep our house warm during cold weather. These systems help in conserving the energy sources we normally used to keep ourselves warm. These changes resulted from my efforts of convincing them to discard their old habits. In order to effectively curb the effects of our activities on our environment, I have begun efforts of sensitizing the members of my community on the effects of their activities on nature. This is because our collective efforts will have a greater impact on the environment than my sole efforts. I have joined several environmental groups that aim at conserving the environment and have been actively involved. My family members have also become active members of the groupings due to my persuasion. As an association, members indulge in sensitizing the local communities about the importance of using recyclable materials. I also inform the members in my community about the effects plastics bring to the environment. This enables everyone to reduce the effects of their ecological footprint in the environment. I was fond of dumping plastics and other wastes aimlessly in the past, but recently changed my habits as a result of what I had learnt. I am currently involved in numerous efforts along with some members of my community in environmental cleanup activities. These activities aim at reducing the effects of my ecological footprints. They include activities such as plastic bag collection and monitoring the dumping of wastes by industries. These activities have become my hobbies and they greatly help me to reduce my ecological footprint. Work Cited Beder, Sharon. Environmental Principles and Policies, an Interdisciplinary Introduction, 2006. New York: Earthscan. Read More