Hearth.com Home - The leading source of information on fireplaces, wood stoves, gas stoves, chimneys and pellet stoves

 

.... ...Or, Search entire Hearth.com Site by clicking here......

   
1 of 2
1
How many planets?  Ecological Footprint
Posted: 31 May 2008 12:14 AM   [ Ignore ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Silicon Valley
Total Posts:  631
Joined  2007-05-22

3.5 planets for me.  Far better than I anticipated

http://www.myfootprint.org/en/visitor_information/

 Signature 

I burn, therefore I am

Jøtul F3CB
Husky 345e

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 May 2008 02:41 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]
Moderator
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
South Puget Sound, WA
Total Posts:  11657
Joined  2005-11-18

3.3 for us. We did well with carbon footprint (10.4), but not as well in housing (9.2). All numbers were good by US standards, but wimpy by world standards I guess.

 Signature 

PE Alderlea T6 - the gentle giant

“When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
- Mark Twain -

Profile
 
 
Posted: 01 June 2008 12:09 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]
Fire Honor Society
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Peru, MA
Total Posts:  401
Joined  2007-05-07

I would need 6.47 earths.

 Signature 

Morso 3610.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 02 June 2008 11:08 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Athens, Ohio
Total Posts:  527
Joined  2007-01-25

Cool site...3.45 earths.  Looks like I have a bit of work to do.  Food footprint was the biggest…

 Signature 

Hearthstone Mansfield

Previously:
Hearthstone Heritage
Dutchwest large Neverburn
Dutchwest small catalytic

Profile
 
 
Posted: 02 June 2008 10:36 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Silicon Valley
Total Posts:  631
Joined  2007-05-22

What’s interesting is if you answer all the questions the same, but say you live in Europe, they account for that with a different footprint.

 Signature 

I burn, therefore I am

Jøtul F3CB
Husky 345e

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 12:56 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]
Master of Fire
RankRankRankRankRank
SE Mass
Total Posts:  603
Joined  2007-12-14

3.1

Do I have to move into a cave ?

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 10:17 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]
Fire Honor Society
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Verndale, MN
Total Posts:  257
Joined  2008-01-18

2.77 earths.
Largest is my carbon footprint.
I am going to go through it again and figue out what I would need to do to get my planets down to < 1.

If I read between the lines here is the message I get:
Looks like everyboby should move into government run apartments so big brother can take care of us and reduce are carbon footprint. If we allow the gov to feed us cloth us and furnish our living spaces we could all drastically reduce our impact on the environment. All we would have to do is send in all the money we make to them and they will take care of us like the helpless stupid little children we all are. And on the subject of children we should institute a program similar to China only 1 child per family and anyone who has more then one is punished servery. As for the elderly eliminate them, they are a burbon on our world and a carbon waste, children should be sent off to gov camps so they can learn how to properly maintain this wonderful planet we infest.

 Signature 

Harman TL-300
Drolet Andriondack has left the building

“Captain, I am a programmer not an Engineer”
“I just throw the wood in”

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 11:19 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Athens, Ohio
Total Posts:  527
Joined  2007-01-25
MishMouse - 03 June 2008 10:17 AM

2.77 earths.
Largest is my carbon footprint.
I am going to go through it again and figue out what I would need to do to get my planets down to < 1.

If I read between the lines here is the message I get:

The message you are getting is one of a person who wants to deny anything that suggests that your lifestyle is not sustainable if everyone on the planet wanted to live the same way.  I live on 85 acres, and it is a no-brainer that if everyone on this planet wanted to raise their family on 85 acres, there would be absolutely NO WAY.  If you walked to work or didn’t even own a car, the “number of planets” drops way down.  If you give up meat, same thing (if I remember correctly, it takes about 10 gallons of water and some obscene amount of grain to get one pound of conventionally-raised meat.  Using that grain and water for human consumption goes a lot further than that pound of meat).

You don’t have to read between the lines, we consume so much in this country compared to many other cultures, and that is a proven fact, it’s unsustainable.  I don’t think anyone is suggesting that you move to a government-run apartment, or kill your grandparents.  In fact, your angry response reminds me of when Dick Cheney said that american’s shouldn’t have to make do with less.  The majority of people in this world don’t have cars, and most live well.  We have built this infrastructure in the US around oil, and now it’s turning out to be a not-so-good idea.  I mean, what else makes it possible for one to live 50 miles from a job they go to 5 days a week?  In the good old days, walking, biking, or horse riding were the modes of transportation.  Those long commutes resulted from the invention of the car.  Which in turn tore apart our communities, which in turn destroyed our local-based food production.  I think if we could work closer to home, not drive (or even own a car), and get our food locally, we’d be on a pretty good path. 

Our society needs to move back toward the old ways of doing things, not some future “soylent green” scenario like you are implying.  At least we could get some better cars on the road, if nothing else.  Of course, they might be smaller, and if it’s not a ford excursion, it’s probably not practical to many rolleyes  I guess that’s where things get tripped up in trying to make changes…

 Signature 

Hearthstone Mansfield

Previously:
Hearthstone Heritage
Dutchwest large Neverburn
Dutchwest small catalytic

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 06:07 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]
Moderator
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Bend, Oregon
Total Posts:  3058
Joined  2007-09-30

Well, we’re at about 4.75 on a first run-through.  Interesting site.  Lots of food for green thought there...I’m quite sure that there’s much we can bo better.  Thanks for that thought-provoking link, Zambo.  (I’ve always loved watching the Zambonis groom the ice.  A few years back, I remember an article in the Washington Post about a couple of guys who were working in an ice rink overnight who decided to drive a Zamboni or two over to the local drive-through for a snack.  Don’t remember just where that took place, but it was certainly an amusing true story.) Rick

EDIT:  Here it is, it happened in Boise, Idaho in 2006:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-11-22-zamboni_x.htm

 Signature 

Lopi Liberty w/blower in the house, Century Hearth FW240007 in the workshop
2 1/2 acres of Juniper, Sagebrush, and Basalt...nice view, though
Bunch of other junk

“...Aye, it’s drivin’ me nuts!”

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 06:24 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]
Pyro Extraordinaire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Maine
Total Posts:  2124
Joined  2007-11-30

planets or plan its?

 Signature 

Axis develops from circle learning shortcuts.& U SHOULD READ THESE LINKS
http://www.umass.edu/umext/floriculture/fact_sheets/greenhouse_management/jb_fuels.htm rolleyes
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm
http://hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/
http://www.toolbase.org/Building-Systems/HVAC/ventilation-requirements
http://www.climate-charts.com/World-Climate-Index-Map.html
http://www.process-heating.com/CDA/Articles/Energy_Notes/d0906053d9268010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/phase.html
http://www.woodheat.org/outdoorair/outdoorairmyth.htm

Profile
 
 
Posted: 03 June 2008 09:56 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 10 ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
Nova Scotia
Total Posts:  569
Joined  2007-03-30

No fear of being labelled a tree-hugger:7.83 earth’s.......needs work I guess.

 Signature 

Regency F2400M
Century FW27007

Husky 357xp,390xp
“The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.”

Profile
 
 
Posted: 04 June 2008 08:20 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 11 ]
Pyro Extraordinaire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
S.NH- Mass's smoking section
Total Posts:  1621
Joined  2008-05-20

Over 6.5.  I would guess that my flying 25K+ per year for work has something to do with it smile

 Signature 

My legs are just long enough to reach the ground

Bruins shirt
2 shih tzus
American Standard toilet

Profile
 
 
Posted: 04 June 2008 06:00 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 12 ]
Fire Honor Society
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
MA, Suburb of Lowell
Total Posts:  413
Joined  2006-12-12

4.55

Try this one, if you’re into this stuff.  It also factors in connection to your community and quality of life:  http://www.itint.co.uk/hpisurvey/

 Signature 

Expert Wood Scrounger

Hearthstone Homestead freestanding stove, centrally located chimney, 1600 Sq ft 2 story 1920 home with nearly average insulation

8 lb Maul, Stihl MS-290

Profile
 
 
Posted: 13 June 2008 05:35 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 13 ]
Fire Honor Society
RankRankRankRank
near Milwaukee, WI
Total Posts:  297
Joined  2006-04-10

Haven’t tried it yet, am guessing mine will be lower than most in this country.  We don’t have jobs, so we don’t commute, we grow a lot of food, do home canning, don’t buy new stuff hardly ever, hardly eat meat and then it is usually venison, etc.  But I just wanted to point out one easy thing to do to cut back your water and carbon footprint.  Someone mentioned this but their number was way low.  Cut out beef or cut way down on it.  It is actually about 1500 gallons of water needed to make one pound of beef in our country.  Has to do with all the extensive irrigation of corn and the water they are drinkiing, the processing and shipping, and so on.  It is much lower for pork and poultry, so if you can’t give up meat, aim for a different kind.

 Signature 

Hearthstone Phoenix
in southeastern Wisconsin

Marcia

Profile
 
 
Posted: 14 June 2008 11:32 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 14 ]
Fire Honor Society
RankRankRankRank
Okiehomey
Total Posts:  169
Joined  2008-02-14

I use 7.38 earths.  I’m not impressed with it either, because it would rate my next door neighbor the same as me.  Looks like I have a 4 earth penalty for living in a new US suburb, and no other reason.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 14 June 2008 12:20 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 15 ]
Master of Fire
Avatar
RankRankRankRankRank
South Shore, MA
Total Posts:  651
Joined  2007-10-22

4.3 here.

 Signature 

Harman XXV
4 ton of pellets in the basement

Proud Member of the Pellet Pig Club
You pellet pigs should be ashaimed of yourselves” - eernest4

Profile
 
 
 
1 of 2
1