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WHAT SIZE ISYOUR
FOOTPRINT?
PARTNERS AND FUNDERS:• Nottinghamshire County Council• Nottingham City Council• Ashfield District Council• Broxtowe Borough Council• Gedling Borough Council• Rushcliffe Borough Council• Government Office for the East Midlands• Nottingham Energy Partnership• Nottingham Green Partnership• Stockholm Environment Institute
This leaflet can be made available in alternativeformats on request.
This leaflet has been printed on 100% recycled paper.
CONTACT DETAILS:For further information about Rushcliffe’seco-footprint please contact:Paul PhillipsEnvironmental Sustainability OfficerRushcliffe Borough CouncilTel: 0115 914 8595Email: [email protected] Website: www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/environment
LIVINGFOR TTOMORROW
For more ideas and inspiration on ways to reduce your eco-footprint, request your freecopy of Living for Tomorrow - the local sustainability magazine for Nottinghamshire.
Tel: 0115 977 3368 Email: [email protected]
USEFUL WEBSITES FOR MORE IDEAS:
Energy Saving Trust - www.est.org.uk
Buying local food - www.foodfig.org.uk
Car sharing - www.nottinghamshare.com
Travel in Greater Nottingham - www.thebigwheel.org.uk
Greener living - www.direct.gov.uk
Everybody’s talking about climate change - www.everybodys-talking.org
Recycling and composting - www.recyclenow.com
IN THE HOME FOOD AND DRINK TRAVEL SHOPPING
HOW BIG IS OUR ECO-FOOTPRINT IN RUSHCLIFFE?The UK has an eco-footprint of 5.34 global hectares per person (gha). It has been calculatedthat the maximum eco-footprint we can have and live sustainably is 1.8 global hectaresper person.
If everybody in the world consumed the way we do in the UK we would need threeworlds - this is the important bit, we only have one!
Rushcliffe has an eco-footprint of 5.57 hectares per person; resources used in Rushcliffecome from all over the world, requiring land twice the size of Nottinghamshire, reducing theresources that are available in other places and for the future.
The biggest part of our eco-footprint is made up of food and drink (22%), household energy(20%), non-holiday travel (15%) and non-food shopping (13%). We can reduce our footprint inall of these areas with a few simple steps.
• Don’t leave it on standby - Turn yourelectrical equipment off when not in use.
• Turn it down - Turning your heatingthermostat down by 1oC could save you10% on your heating bill.
• Insulate your loft - This will mean youuse less energy to keep your house warmand save money.
• Think before you buy - Ask for localand seasonal food - this will avoid allair-freighted foods.
• Cook from fresh - Avoiding processed andpackaged foods reduces the emissionsgenerated by transporting multipleingredients and products around thecountry or even the world, as well asthose from the production of packaging.Fresh is also better for your health.
• Buy in bulk - This will avoid the emissionscreated in packaging individual items andcan save money.
• Think before you drive - Can you walk,cycle or use public transport instead?
• Share your car - Car sharing reducestravel costs, lessens congestion, pollutionand parking problems.
• Check the pressure - Under inflated cartyres create more resistance when your caris moving, which means your engine hasto work harder, producing more carbondioxide emissions.
• Think about what you buy - Do youreally need that extra pair of shoes ornew top? And if you do, make sure youreuse or recycle the old one.
• Quality or quantity? - Sometimesspending more money on one qualityitem that lasts is better than buying threethat soon fall to pieces.
• Dump that packaging - Avoid unnecessarypackaging and take a reusable bag withyou when you shop.
ECO-FOOTPRINT - WHAT IS IT?An eco-footprint measures the impact our lifestyles have on the earth’s resources. It looksat all the things we consume (cars, food, water, energy, electrical equipment etc) andmakes an estimate of the amount of land in hectares needed to produce them and absorbthe pollution and waste created by them.
WHY DOES THE SIZE OF THE ECO-FOOTPRINT MATTER?At current rates, the eco-footprint shows that we are using more resources than the planet canprovide. If the earth was a bank account, we’d be overdrawn - and, every year we go onspending more than we’re earning, getting further into debt. We need to live smarter tobalance the books - this is the only way we can sustain the quality of our lives into the future.
TAKING THE FIRST STEPS TO REDUCE YOUR ECO-FOOTPRINTListed below are some ideas for you to start reducing your eco-footprint. Living sustainablyis not only good for the planet, saving on resources and emissions, but can save you moneyand benefit your health too.
