Ecological Footprint Campaign  

Living Consciously

Our simplest thought or action, the decisions we make each day, how we see and relate to the world around us can have a significant impact and profound influence on the world at large. The interconnectedness of the earth is bound by an invisible link between people, animals, plants, air, water, and soil. Seemingly insignificant actions on our part, whether positive or negative, can have an impact on people and the environment that appear to be entirely separate from our personal realm of existence.

Staying conscious of the interconnection between all things can help us think of our choices in terms of their impact and the broader effect this impact creates on the environment and our natural resources. We need to ask ourselves these questions: Where is my food grown and raised? Is it grown and raised locally, using sustainable agriculture? Is it organic? What materials are my clothes made of? Were the clothes made by people receiving fair wages? Is the car I drive burning fossil fuels efficiently? Am I carpooling whenever possible or using the bus or a bike? Understanding that we are intimately connected with all things and that we can use our power to affect our world in a positive way is a good first step on the path to living consciously, in a sustainable manner.

What is an Ecological Footprint?

Through the determination of the ecological footprint of an individual, it is possible to gauge whether human demands on nature are exceeding the supply. International studies show that our planet has only 1.9 hectares of nature to meet the needs of each person living on the earth which equates to a footprint of 1.9 per person.

According to the Ecological Footprints of Canadian Municipalities and Regions prepared for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the average Canadian uses 7.25 hectares of land and water to sustain their current lifestyle. The average Canadian, therefore, has a footprint of 7.25. The size of the footprint of an average resident of York Region is 8.28.

The Ecological Footprint Campaign

The Ecological Footprint Campaign is a YREA initiative that focuses on York Region communities. They have indicated that they are interested in improving their local environment and in learning about specific actions that they can undertake to achieve this goal. The campaign will show residents how to measure their human impact on the natural environment and how to make simple but significant changes to their lifestyle to reduce their ecological footprint which will improve the environment. The focus of our campaign is on four areas: Home, Food, Consumption and Transportation. Click here to view Our Ecological Footprint publication.

Take the Pledge

Print a copy of "I Pledge to Reduce My Ecological Footprint" from here.

Educational Ecological Footprint Presentations

If you are interested in booking a presentation for your community group, municipality or school, please contact Leslie Atkinson at leslie@yrea.org . YREA is presently mentoring youth so they can make power point Our Eco Footprint presentations to their peers at York Region schools.

YREA gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. With $100 million in annual funding from Ontario's charity casino and gaming initiative, the Foundation provides grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, environment and social service sectors.