Bigfoot is not a myth. Unfortunately,
it is a reality created by billions of people around the world
whose larger-than-life ecological footprint is responsible
for today’s biggest environmental problems.
The ecological footprint is a measure, in global hectares, of
how much productive land and water is needed to produce what we
use and to absorb what we discard. To stay within the capacity
of the planet, every person on Earth would need an eco footprint
of just 1.9 global hectares. Currently the world average eco footprint
measures 2.2 global hectares and the Australian average is 7.7.
In a few words, we are using far more natural resources than can
be regenerated.
Measures like recycling, biking, public transport use, and energy
efficient homes and lifestyles are promoted as the main ways to
lessen our burden on the environment. But in reality, food—and
in particular foods derived from animals have an even bigger environmental
impact than things like goods, housing, services and transport.
According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, animal-derived
foods make up the biggest part of our ecological footprint : 34%.
This is because their production requires so much land, water
and energy, and creates significant waste. Plant-derived foods
require far less resources to produce. In fact, simply by replacing
animal foods with plant foods the average Australian eco footprint
can be reduced by as much as one third, from 7.7 to 4.9 global
hectares. Adopting a plant based diet is about the simplest and
most effective step a person can take to reduce their eco footprint.
Find out about Vegetarian Action's 
