Ecological footprints

Living in the GCC, my ecological footprint is much higher than I'd like it to be. We rely on a lot of foreign imports and the limited public transport, large cars and increased industry adds to this. 

Our ecological footprint is the amount of the environment necessary to produce the goods and services necessary to support a particular lifestyle.

The Human impact
This documentary is an eye-opening look at what the average UK citizen will use and consume in their lifetime. Its a staggering glimpse at how we take from the earth throughout our  lives.
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v14272337NXkjNrmY?h1=The+Human+Footprint

Calculate your ecological footprint
Follow the link to calculate your ecological footprint:
http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/

Reducing our footprint
Based on the footprints of many developed countries, we would need several planets if everyone in the world lived in the same way as an average citizen in these countries.This is clearly unsustainable and the impact on the environment is huge.  With a dwindling supply of resources, an increasing population we need to act now.

We need to make a change in our lifestyles to reduce our impact. Small changes could include:

• Recycling paper, cardboard and plastics. With readily available recycling banks in most countries, this would be easy to do.
• Composting food waste and newspaper. This could be used to grow your own nutritious veggies!
• Conserving water. Fill milk bottles as you wait for water for washing dishes to run warm. Shower into a bucket and use the water for plants
• Buying locally grown produce
• Using public transport

There are many more things that you could do. If everyone made a small change, the impact would be huge. How will you reduce your footprint in 2015?