m.My Impact

Science teaches us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Life teaches us that none of us are islands: our decisions and actions have impacts way beyond our own 'shores' upon the lives of others.

This assignment is a challenge to you to consider the impacts and implications upon the natural environment and the lives of others  that run from what you do and indeed what you don't do.

NOW: write a type-written report (2 pages appx) considering your own life on a typical Saturday from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep at night: what do you do / not do and how does this impact upon the world around you.  I am asking you to determine, calmy and honestly, whether Planet Earth can afford you and your lifestyle.

To do this you will move through a process you should already appreciate as it is at the heart of the logic of research:

1. describe
2. analyse
3. evaluate
4. synthesise
5. conclude
6. recommend

For example: 

1. what is the normal heat in your bedroom in winter?  Should you really wear thicker pyjamas or put an extra blanket on so you can turn down the heating a notch or two?
2. When you brush your teeth, do you leave the tap running
3. Do you keep your TV/DVD on standby
4. Do you go to the local market in preference to supermarket

NB. There are MANY more questions you should ask – these are just indicators!!

When you have done this I want you to draw a conclusion about yourself and your actions and rate yourself according to the following scale:

1. I take no special regard of the environment and my impact thereon: I am a free citizen and as long as I remain within the bounds of the law I consider myself free to live the life I want.
2. I make very limited concessions to the environment: I sort some rubbish and I try to switch off the lights – a few things like that, but I don't really take it that seriously.
3. I am conscious of the environment and try to do what I can, but I have never really seriously thought about systematically trying to improve my environmental impact in all aspects of my life.
4. I take my environmental impact seriously and consciously and consistently examine the choices I make and the actions I take but there are still quite a lot of things I know I should be doing that I am not and I am stuck: I just don't seem to be able to do more.
5. I am a deep ecologist: I am determined to reduce my consumption and my impact to a level that the planet can sustain easily with renewable resources. I know I am free to fly or to own a car: although I can afford them I do not permit myself to choose them because of their unacceptable negative impacts.  I live well within the planet's ecological means to support me and I am actively trying to help others to see the importance of doing the same.

So…. where do YOU figure on this list….. and if the necessary target has to be 5 what are we prepared to change in the way we live to achieve it.  Indeed..ARE we prepared to change voluntarily or will it take much stronger legal and punitive economic measures to force us to 'do the right thing'?

NEXT. … please visit the following site and spend 5 minutes completing the Carbon Footprint Calculator (please all use this one so that your respective results are comparable).

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Come to class with your respective 'scores:

• how many planet Earths would we need if everyone lived like you
• how much CO2 do you create in a given year.

You might also look at the feedback you get which makes personalised suggestions as to xhat you might do to reduce your impact.

For info: my score was over 13.2 TONS of CO2, BUT my impact in planetary terms was slightly better than the average Brit (we would need 3.0 planets if everyone lived like the Brits…. but only 2.26 planets if everyone lived like me!!).