Ways to reduce your ecological footprint
Buy locally grown & manufactured goods
Visit the VA Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services website for a listing of Virginia producers
Be a smart driver & Clean Air Champion
Keep your car in tune to prevent air pollution. Check out the VA Department of Environmental Quality daily air quality index for ozone:
Plant a SHADE tree
Trees cool our cities, filter the air, buffer noise & provide homes and food for wildlife. For information & assistance, visit the VA Department of Forestry.
Save energy to conserve non-renewable fuels and protect air & water
See DEQ's Pollution Prevention site for more tips.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Visit the VA Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy for tips.
Be water-wise
Return clean water to your watershed to keep the land productive. For ideas, visit the VA Department of Conservation & Recreation or the VA Department of Environmental Quality.
Recycle historic buildings & used sites
Visit the VA Department of Historic Resources. Learn about remediating idled, underutilized, or abandoned industrial or commercial properties.
Enhance healthy wildlife habitat
Help make sure wildlife has room for its footprint. VA Department of Game & Inland Fisheries can help.
Be a concerned citizen & support environmental programs
Don't forget to let your friends know that you care about Virginia's environment. To find a program that suits you, visit Virginia Naturally.
Ecological Footprint Calculators
Below are links for footprint calculators you can complete online, through a downloadable spreadsheet, or by hand.
The Earth Day Network has an online ecological footprint quiz to measure your impact on the Earth's resources.
Ecological Footprint Quiz, On-line game just for kids! Make some simple choices to learn how the meals you eat and the decisions you make effect the planet.
Eco-spread (link and materials coming soon)
This is a downloadable self-guided program for calculating your Ecological Footprint using Microsoft Excel. Follow the instructions to learn the size of your footprint and make a commitment to reduce your footprint today!
Calculate Your EcologicalFootprint: 16 Simple Questions to Access Your Impact
This is a downloadable worksheet for calculating your Ecological Footprint by hand. All you need is a pencil!
Interested in learning how your lifestyle contributes to Carbon Emissions? Click here to access Carbon Footprint Calculators and resources for improving air quality.