Find out how your lifestyle impacts the environment
So I just took this online survey to see what my carbon footprint is. I always felt as though I lived a pretty environmentally conscious lifestyle. I recycle. I hardly ever drive my car (a car that averages 25 to 35 mpg still after 10 years).
I’ve recently started lugging my own shopping bags around to cut out the plastic. I shut off things when not in use and I’ve installed a few of those compact fluorescent bulbs in my apartment.
So How Did I Do?
Even though I thought I would test well, I was pleasantly surprised at my score. Compared to the averages of those living around me (and the world) I did pretty darned good. My ECP or Earth Conservation Plan score and the annual tonage of carbon I personally am responsible for are both well below average.
| ECP | Carbon (annual tons) | |
| My Score | 215 | 4.9 |
| Hoboken | 333 | 14.3 |
| New Jersey | 351 | 15.1 |
| United States | 325 | 15.1 |
| World | 335 | 13.8 |
How the Scoring Works
Generally, ECP scores range from 150 – 900 and the lower the better (duh!). The ECP score is calculated based on six categories related to Home, Energy, Work, Commute, Travel and Lifestyle. The average score in the US is 325; in Canada is 305.To take the test yourself, check out the Earthlab website.
They also have a whole bunch of ‘pledges’ for you to take. Basically they are simple tips on how to change certain habits that can have a major impact on the environment. Instead of just saying things like, “Install an automatic timer on your lights” or “Use the kill switch on power strips” and such, they actually ask you to log in and pledge a start date. Pretty cool stuff.
See Also:
Earthlab
