On ACF’s Eco-calculator why can’t I get a footprint of less than 1.8 hectares?
The aim of the Eco-calculator is to provide an indication of the impact our lifestyle has on the environment, and to then guide people to make simple lifestyle changes that can reduce this impact. We understand that individual impacts are extremely varied and complex, but to ensure that the calculator is effective and simple to use we have to keep the number of questions to a minimum. So the questions target lifestyle choices that the majority of Australians will find easy to change. For example, we choose to target the consumption of animal products because it accounts for the largest component of the average Australian’s eco-footprint, and because it should be easy for people to reduce this consumption. To keep the number of questions in our Eco-calculator to a minimum we have to make a number of assumptions in the calculations. We have had to assume, for example, that the impact of Australia’s government and government services on the environment are shared equally between us all. A
