KEY POINTS:
Here I am a smug vegetarian who walks to work, doesn't use the heated towel rail, and washes my clothes in cold water.
I always knew I had big feet for my size, but consider my surprise when I calculated my carbon footprint and found it came out only just under the New Zealand average.
Why?
I live alone.
According to the Ministry of Environment's website calculator my ecological footprint is 29,785 square metres.
The average New Zealand footprint is 30,800 square metres.
Says the calculator: "You are a one-person household. This significantly increases the size of your ecological footprint as you need the same level of basic services (eg electricity and council services such as rubbish collection) as a larger household. It is more efficient to share these services in a large household. Using the ecological footprint calculator, try changing the number of people in your household."
Hmm, yes I do have two rooms but while the second is big enough to swing a cat, it is not really sufficient to swing a flatmate.
And to put my big carbon foot in it, I really do consider I need it for visitors.
It turns out that my electricity consumption is indeed more than double the New Zealand average.
This comes as quite a shock.
I have short showers, eat lots of salads (raw power) and use energy-efficient light bulbs.
The calculator also tells me I earn considerably above the national income average of $36,554 for a full-time worker which increases my ecological footprint by 1371 square metres because I have extra money to spend on goods and services.
But dear calculator - I don't.
I am a rare breed in New Zealand - a saver - pouring much of what is left over after my expensive rent into superannuation and two special saving accounts.
But this seems to not be taken into account, so I chastise this calculator.
I also take umbrage when the calculator says my use of vehicles (for the record, I drive a relative petrol-sipper and virtually only at weekends) is relatively high.
It seems this conclusion is reached on what I spend on repairs on that rust heap and that I don't use public transport.
Well, duh, I walk to work.
Go figure, calculator.
By the way, how dare it tell me I spend too much on clothes.
Many clothing items indirectly require significant areas of land in their production.
Wool, for example, is land intensive, the calculator intones.
Thank goodness I am allergic to wool.
Kind words were included.
"Your strictly vegetarian diet considerably reduces your ecological footprint. Your food footprint is half the New Zealand average - ie, 8572 square metres smaller. As you no doubt know, your vegetarian diet is environmentally friendly as it takes less land and resources to supply your food needs."
In summary, my ecological footprint is within the average range for New Zealanders.
"By New Zealand standards you live a reasonably sustainable lifestyle - although by world standards you do not. If everyone on the globe used as much land as you do, 4.2 globes would be needed to support the world's population."
Meanwhile, I am referred to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority website for further information on how I can conserve electricity or to seek help from my local electricity supplier.
