I was reminded of "ethical price tags" today (see my post on 6/21) by an article in the Sierra Club magazine. Instead of reflecting and deliberating about each and every decision we make, we'd do better to take stock of larger things, like a lifestyle, or a household, or a neighborhood. But how to do it? The good people of Vancouver, Canada are trying to hold down the ecological footprint of the city. To that end, they look at neighborhoods and living arrangements and ask "how many planets would it take if everyone lived that way?"
A new website takes you through a series of questions so you can answer this question about your own lifestyle. It turns out I have a 2 1/2 planet lifestyle. There's a rejoinder to this that's obvious--but not everyone does have my lifestyle, or will. I have the good fortune of living in the most affluent country in the world, and my little corner of it is relatively luxurious (though I don't live in a 40,000 square foot house, like some of the folks across town).
Still, I'm using more than my fair share of the earth's resources if everyone couldn't possibly live like me. Fun concept. Here's the website: http://www.myfootprint.org/
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