My Ecological Footprint

Quantifying allows for measurement and improvement. This is a statement that I have already heard a handful of times in beginning my new classes this quarter at Western. Calculating my ecological footprint is certainly one way to quantify and improve the impact my lifestyle choices have on the world. This was the first time I have (accurately) calculated my ecological footprint, and I was surprised to find that, if everyone lived like I do, we would need 3.3 Earths to provide enough resources. The majoring of my footprint comes from my use of societal services. This category of "services" is allocated to everyone who takes this quiz according to their nation. This is not a category I can intentionally avoid or reduce, so the next category I can focus on is "food", which is the second biggest contributor to my footprint.
When I think of environmentalism, I usually tend to think about it in terms of electricity usage, water usage, and transportation usage. It is not often that I think of it in terms of eating habits. In researching websites focused on at-home environmentalism, I am learning how I can reduce my carbon footprint by eating meals that are plant-based. I can reduce my footprint by the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over an average animal-based lunch. These 2.5 pounds are about 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions I would save by driving around for a day in a hybrid. Turning towards a plant-based diet also will result in conserving water.
These facts about plant-based eating are not ENTIRELY new to me, but they certainly are putting some things into perspective for me.
I would like to make three intentional actions towards reducing my ecological footprint:
(1) I will reduce my consumption of beef to 2 meals a month
(2) I will unplug the extension cord that connects to my hair blow dryer and hair straightener when I am not using them-- this will hopefully help in my issue of leaving my straightener on (sometimes I accidentally leave it on all day....)
(3) I will turn off the faucet when I am brushing my teeth 

Surprisingly, I am struggling just limiting myself to 3 actions items towards becoming more environmental. There are so many things that I could do differently! I am excited to see how my awareness of my ecological footprint increases and the challenges that come along with it.