Through the determination of the ecological footprint of an individual, it is possible to gauge whether human demands on nature are exceeding the supply. International studies show that our planet has only 1.9 hectares of nature to meet the needs of each person living on the earth which equates to a footprint of 1.9 per person.

According to the Ecological Footprints of Canadian Municipalities and Regions prepared for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the average Canadian uses 7.25 hectares of land and water to sustain their current lifestyle. The average Canadian, therefore, has a footprint of 7.25. The size of the footprint of an average resident of York Region is 8.28.

Our publication demonstrates how to measure human impact on the natural environment. Through making small but significant changes, people are shown how they can reduce their demand on the world’s resources. We developed a comprehensive, educational presentation on this subject that has been shown to high school and adult audiences.

As a result of this initiative, York Region Printing, who produced our publication, became an FSC certified printer. York Region Printing publishes the Toronto Star and all Metroland newspapers.

Calculate your eco footprint, read about safe home cleaning, get tips about energy reduction and much more.

Download our Ecological Footprint Publication.