Ecological Footprint Calculator

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:06 pm

What is your impact on the earth? Being a true sceptic about the current obsession with carbon footprints and what not I couldn't resist having a look at this. I find that one must be a non-travelling, non-holidaying, frozen in winter (less than £200 a year (oil or gas), same for electricity, VEGAN (eating locally produced fresh food only), unread (no newspapers) second hand furniture buyer who lives in a flat with more than 5 other people but has no children, has less than 15kg of domestic waste weekly, does not have a dishwasher or a washing machine and recycles glass, plastic, paper, aluminium, steel cans and food waste. If you choose to live like this 'then the human existence and the Earth would continue to prosper sustainably'

Come on then, be honest, do any of you lot qualify?

www.the carmarthenshirepartnership.org.uk then A Better Place then follow the links.

It has just occurred to me sitting here guzzling electricity at the computer what a waste of paper it was to send out their glossy 'Update' and that the paragons who are going to save the world won't be able to do their test anyway because they won't have a computer and you need a printer for the form. Hey Ho.

redhill · Post by **redhill** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:09 pm

I know him he has'nt worked for years,but will always accept a drink"make that a double" and is always ready to tell every one what they are doing wrong sue

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:00 am

And they smell! Especially when they come in here to get warm and dry by the Pub fire, after demonstrating in the bush for three weeks without soap.
They come in petrol or diesel vehicles, of course, and the poor filthy kids are sucking on plastic babies bottles.
'Tread lightly on the earth' is a very wise motto, but be honest & realistic. (Just my tuppence worth)

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:46 am

'Tread lightly on the earth' is a very wise motto, but be honest & realistic.

My view exactly. We left where we used to live because we couldn't stand the traffic. It was chaotic and stressful. My friends have gone to Australia (Perth), forever, for exactly the same reason. We're heading for big, big problems, at least in the UK, and when I hear politians and economists say we need more and more people, and more and more houses, they are totally missing the point.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 1:25 pm

And of course, we're all guilty of terrible carbon footprints by breeding animals that expel gas profusely, adding to the problem.

This is where Kirk needs to come in and tell us how to breed a cow that doesn't pass wind, or if it does, only wind that is good for the atmoshphere. I said that as a joke, but is it? I bet someone's working on it! We have luminous pigs being bred.

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:38 pm

I don’t know about breeding, but they are working on a feed, which will reduce the emissions, I don’t think anyone has worked out what that might do to the animals long term, or the customers who eat them.

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:09 pm

Woodmagic wrote:I don’t know about breeding, but they are working on a feed, which will reduce the emissions, I don’t think anyone has worked out what that might do to the animals long term, or the customers who eat them.

It's a 'probiotic', altering the ruminal bacteria. Grain feeding alters the ruminal bacteria too, so I see it being neither sustainable nor ultimately beneficial.

106-1100209741 · Post by **106-1100209741** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:41 pm

If you could collect all the 'emissions' and use it as fuel would that be sustainable? or just adding to the problem?

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:21 pm

The pity of it is, there is an urgent message, which is getting crowded out by some who don’t begin to comprehend the essentials, but want to ride a bandwagon. I don’t want to think I am leaving future generations to fry.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:06 am

Try:- New Scientist, Burp vaccine cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
I am sure that none of us mean to diminish the urgency, Beryl. Some of us will use levity to mask our fear, and some will even trust that politics and big business will be forced to do something.
We are powerless little ants, but can appease our conscience, and perhaps even make a difference, by making some effort in our every day lives. Breeding for feed efficiency could be just one consideration.
As I am sure you will agree, we do not need the self-appointed to dictate the terms.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:44 am

Before long, as things are going we will all have to pay a carbon tax on any animal we keep. They already know how many animals we all have so the structure to impose such a tax is already in place! maybe we should all keep quiet about it or we may plant a seed in someones tiny mind.
Martin.

Kirk- Cascade Herd US · Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:30 pm

Broomcroft wrote:And of course, we're all guilty of terrible carbon footprints by breeding animals that expel gas profusely, adding to the problem.

This is where Kirk needs to come in and tell us how to breed a cow that doesn't pass wind, or if it does, only wind that is good for the atmoshphere. I said that as a joke, but is it? I bet someone's working on it! We have luminous pigs being bred.

Guess what?, in the past 24 hours, I heard a story about this on our public radio network in the US. Here are the facts:

1. Cows have hundreds of different microbes in their rumens.
2. One of the microbes produces methane.
3. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas.
4. Methane is expelled in the cow's breath, not the other end
5. An extensive study is being undertaken in New Zealand to understand methane emissions and to find a way to reduce them without impacting cattle economics negatively.
6. Possible methods include bio-engineering the methane producing microbe to stop producing methane.
7. It might be possible that such an altered microbe would allow cattle to retain more energy for their own growth.

Kirk

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 3:43 pm

Bio-engineering as in genetically modified? Count me out.

I think it is a numbers game. If we got rid of feed lots (concentrated numbers of sick cattle being fed unheathy diets and kept alive with drugs) and mega dairy farms AND raised the price of food so the 16 oz. steak on the restaurant menu disappeared......we would be heading towards something approximating sanity. I love the way many traditional diets use just a little meat in their recipes. Makes meat all the more special.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:28 am

Kathy I don't think its as bad as you think. I had stomach ulcers a few years ago caused by too many of a particular microbe (an inbalance). I had a short course of medication that suppressed these and encouraged others that corrected the inbalance and have had no problems since.
If the research and solution is along these lines there may be little to worry about, but I agree that if it is something more sinister then we have to be on our guard.

Martin. Medway Valley Dexters.