The City of Edmonton recently released the 2012/2013 Report on the Environment. The report features information about the larger state of the environment within city boundaries and the City’s corporate environmental performance.
While there are a number of areas where Edmonton is doing an amazing job in terms of long-term sustainability, one area particularly struck me: our ecological footprint.
Our ecological footprint compares human demands on nature with the biosphere’s ability to regenerate resources and provide services.This figure is calculated by considering all of the biological materials consumed and all of the biological wastes generated by a person or household in a given year. This includes household expenditure data on food, shelter, transportation, goods and services and government services, in addition to physical energy use.
In 2012, Edmontonians average ecological footprint was 7.67 hectares per capita, which is an increase from 7.59 in 2006. The current total world ecological footprint of the human population averages 2.71 global hectares per capita, exceeding the available global biocapacity of the earth (1.8 ha/capita) by 33 per cent. This means Edmontonians ecological footprint exceeds the available capacity by 77 per cent! That’s a huge ecological deficit.
What can you do to reduce the size of your ecological footprint?
- While we are using less water than ever, (the average Edmontonian uses 204L per day, well under the national average of 263L), there is still room for easy improvement. Take shorter showers, use your dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full and use your sprinkler system sparingly.
- The average Edmontonian used 57,300 kilowatts of energy per year in 2008; that number has increased to 58,200 in 2013. Turn off lights, keep electronics unplugged when not in use and use a clothesline instead of a dryer!
- Electricity generated through solar technology has increased in Edmonton. In 2010, 45 kilowatt hours per month were from solar energy; in 2013, that increased to 749 kilowatt hours per month. Learn more about solar energy and how to get your home greener than ever in our Green Home Guide.
- Making use of public transit or cycling can greatly reduce your personal footprint. The average number of ETS rides per capita increased from 88 in 2009 to 104 in 2013, with LRT ridership almost doubling since 2008
- With our new Waste-to-Biofuels facility, Edmonton is well on its way to keeping 90% of waste out of our landfills. Take the 90 Ways to 90 challenge and see how many waste reducing actions you already take!
To learn more about the state of Edmonton’s environment and find out other ways to live greener, check out an interactive version of the report here: www.edmonton.ca/GreenAnnualReport
