My Ecological Footprint
My ecological footprint suggests that I am being sustainable and environmentally friendly. I need 1.38 fewer Planet Earths than the average person in Ontario in order to provide for my resources. Most of my footprint is based on food and services, from my almost everyday meat consumption and the large grouping of electronic devices and products I use every day. My footprint shows a Western lifestyle. Our lives here in North America are based around capitalistic ideals of materialism and over-consumption. The Western lifestyle of materialism makes us want to own cars to drive around instead of using greener means of transportation such as walking, biking or riding public transportation. We convince ourselves or are convinced by companies that
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Some changes I can make that would reduce my impact on my use of energy land is unplugging electronic devices when I am not using them or completely turning off the power bars when I am not home. Turning off my power bars will not only lower my use of energy land but also my home’s electricity bill. According to The Ontario Ministry of Energy website, electrical devices always use electricity when they are plugged in even if they are turned off, called “phantom power.” A laptop still uses 18.6 kWh/y (kilowatt hours per year) when idle/sleep/off mode plugged in. A television uses 11.4 kWh/y when turned off. (Ontario Ministry of Energy, 2016) If you unplugged just both of these devices, you would save 30 kWh/y. Another change I can make with my electrical devices and appliances is to use them during off-peak or mid-peak periods of the day. Ontario uses time-of-use pricing to reflect the costs of producing the electricity at different times of the day. There are three periods: off-peak, mid-peak and on-peak. Off-peak times are when energy demand is low and less expensive sources of energy are used. Mid-peak is when the cost and demand of energy are moderate. On peak is when electricity demand is highest and the most expensive types of electricity production are used, such as washing machines or dishwashers. (Ontario Ministry of Energy, 2015) Saving most of my electricity use for off-peak hours would save me money and lower the
Some changes I can make that would reduce my impact on my use of energy land is unplugging electronic devices when I am not using them or completely turning off the power bars when I am not home. Turning off my power bars will not only lower my use of energy land but also my home’s electricity bill. According to The Ontario Ministry of Energy website, electrical devices always use electricity when they are plugged in even if they are turned off, called “phantom power.” A laptop still uses 18.6 kWh/y (kilowatt hours per year) when idle/sleep/off mode plugged in. A television uses 11.4 kWh/y when turned off. (Ontario Ministry of Energy, 2016) If you unplugged just both of these devices, you would save 30 kWh/y. Another change I can make with my electrical devices and appliances is to use them during off-peak or mid-peak periods of the day. Ontario uses time-of-use pricing to reflect the costs of producing the electricity at different times of the day. There are three periods: off-peak, mid-peak and on-peak. Off-peak times are when energy demand is low and less expensive sources of energy are used. Mid-peak is when the cost and demand of energy are moderate. On peak is when electricity demand is highest and the most expensive types of electricity production are used, such as washing machines or dishwashers. (Ontario Ministry of Energy, 2015) Saving most of my electricity use for off-peak hours would save me money and lower the