That's more than 1/2 the problem, we live amongst pigs...

I think back to my dear depated father who gave me the very best advice as we were going out hunting or fishing together: Take only pictures and leave only footprints. Words to live by.

I agree earth is a �pretty tough cookie,� and it is an interesting point about �her� being able to take it the way we are. I want to address this at the end of my post.

I don�t believe my lifestyle is one I live out of fear, nor do I do it to please fruit loops. I have never done anything to impress anyone except myself. Well, maybe as a kid I tried to please a few ladies or impress a few others. I digress�

It is not an assumption, but a fact there are finite amounts of �resources� we use to support our lifestyle. We simply can�t treat natural materials as �resources� for consumption and expect them to be there for our grandchildren or subsequent generations. Some things will run out. It isn�t like we can make iron, water, oil or any other number of things. Alchemy never panned out.

I grew up in East Texas and remember the forests as I knew it as a kid. Big, deep beautiful bottomlands with enormous white oaks� The biodiversity was impressive. I could walk through the forest squirrel hunting my way through and recognize areas for their location due to the biodiversity. One location was different from the next and each had characteristics which distinguished them. This same forest I hunted as a kid has been reduced to a monoculture of long-leaf pine planted in rows. No diversity in species and one location no different from the next. You would be hard pressed to find any other species of tree, therefore, reduced diversity of fauna as well as lower abundance of what is still present.

This is a local example from an already fragmented forest which was at one point vaster as explained by my ancestors. My great-grandfather would explain to me that the �woods� we hunted together were once enormous. �These woods were much bigger boy,� he would explain. �You could walk for days and not come out. We had bears, wolves and jaguars in those days.� He would shuffle through photos to show me bears that had come in their fields and even had a photo of a jaguar shot by one of his neighbors. He never produced photos of wolves, but I believed him.

I have seen the same thing in Central America. Huge expanses of forest cleared from mountain sides to get mahogany for furniture, graze cattle or plant orange groves. Incidentally, this wood, beef and produce isn�t for the Central Americans, it is for us and other developed countries. I have talked to Panamanians who tell stories of how their area used to be one dense continuous jungle. One old man said the eucalyptus plantation on the edge of his village was where he played and gathered food as a child. �My children play in dirty street in Panama City now,� he murmured with a long face. His remark and wrinkled tan neck reminded me of my great-grandfather.

RayBob said this test is not for a Texas lifestyle. Does this mean we have an exclusive ideal to ruin a marvelous state? I guess this depends on one�s point of reference and depth of consideration, but I believe we don�t live in a state of exclusivity. By living up to this ideal, we will have less for my children.

I also agree the test is a bit sophomoric. It doesn�t take into account someone growing their own vegetables or generating their own electricity as some have mentioned. I assume the test uses parameters people who have the general habits possess on average. For instance, people like me who buy at least half of their produce from local farms also have their own gardens. I produce probably 5% of my own food and generally only eat meat from hunting or fish I have personally caught. Of course, I use fuel to get the places I hunt and fish. It balances out and by using these parameter of habits based on responses you get an average.

The same holds true for comparing the U.S. to South America. The availability and opportunity to buy/use resources in South America is less than America. The buying/use habits on average are different and taken into account. You can gather data to support this using imports/GDP or other economic data. In short, there are some inferences being made.

The population has grown from 2 billion in 1930 to 7 billion at present. As China, India, Brazil and other countries continue to develop with huge populations they will begin to use analogous amount of resources as they aspire to be like Americans. Who can blame them? They tolerate insane pollution because it is better than poverty. They are short-sighted because it is hand to mouth. Many of us are short sighted because we don�t see it, want to consider it or are complacent because life feels good. Again, it is hard to blame people for it. I make a conscience decision each time I travel nationally or internationally. Each time I load the boat or pack the jeep to head for the mountains, I know I am using more than my child will have the opportunity to use. I try to offset this in many ways. I use less, eat well (health of myself and world), buy 100% wind generated electricity, made improvements to my home as well as rental property (keeps my tenants thrilled) so energy use is minimized and live minimally otherwise. I can afford to spend more, but I choose not too. It has benefitted me in many ways. Economically, I have zero debt except for my mortgage. A nice bonus in a sea of economic woe.

Finally, to explain the �pretty tough cookie� phrase from the top of my post, there are several models that show the world could actually handle our present consumption of resources if we did a few minor things. If we halted the cutting of rainforest, allowed what has been cleared (and not built upon) to be reclaimed by the rainforest, used more efficient farming practices, recycled, stabilized pop growth, we could maintain our present lifestyles.

I was curious what measures others have made and still am. It could be interesting to see some of the innovation some possess. Thanks for all the response.

You said it all.

wow the OT has came so far

2.7, but I don't drive much

yep, look what she did with all those dead dinosaurs

When I had my Mustang. I would downshift next to a Prius just so they could hear me killing the environment.

Being good stewards of the environment used to be a good thing no matter your political affiliation. Ducks Unlimited is one of the huge success stories from the conservative side of the tracks. Big oil has a lot of pull with politicians and they have made this in to a political issue. If you think being concerned about the environment is a liberal thing, then I think you need to stop letting politicians lead you around like sheep.

We will eventually get away from fossil fuels. It's coming and you can't stop it. Yes, it will affect a lot of jobs, but in the long run we will live in a better place.

Pope 1, unless you live where you can see the windmills or at least fairly close you are probably not getting electricity generated by said machines. Electricity cannot just be put out on a transmission line and shipped anywhere in the state. About 50 or so miles, then you have to have a sub station to boost the power along. So what happens is if you buy from Company "A" and their windmills are 300 miles away, they will buy power from Company "B" for you to use. Its standard practice in the power industry and the companies will settle up what each owes the other at the end of the month for example. What I am saying is if you are paying a premium price you should maybe find out where your power really comes from.

I got 7.8, but it�s not accurate. It only lets you go up to 500 miles per week. I do that by Tuesday each week.

I care so much I wouldn't even consider taking such a "test". Democom BS. Mother Earth can take everything we can throw at her and still laugh in our faces.

This.

3.1 Your Ecological Footprint
(global hectares or gha)

4.9 Your Carbon Footprint
(CO2 emissions in tonnes per year)

55 Your Carbon Footprint
(% of your total Ecological Footprint)

Not that I understand any of it.

I agree. We have chickens and eat their eggs, but there wasn�t really a good way to account for that in the survey. I also work from home, which has to help my score, but no way to account for that in the survey. It also seemed like they were probably putting a lot of weight behind public transportation. I hardly drive (except during hunting season, but that�s still only once a week); we live in an area without public transportation but five minutes away to three grocery stores and the rest of the places we shop at. That�s got to be a huge factor in my favor and should negate a lot of the negative from not using public transportation. I also don�t buy many clothes. I definitely don�t buy clothes every month.

I got 3.3. Not a great survey.