Make Your Pledge

What’s an Acre?

Read the Sierra article

Take the Redefining Progress Quiz

Sierra Club
Consumption Committee

What else can I do?

Wanted: 4.4 More Earths

This is the problem in a nutshell: As the world’s population continues to soar, the planet’s resources remain finite, and the earth is suddenly overtaxed.

In fact it’s estimated that 1.2 planets would be required to regenerate the earth’s resources at the rate we currently consume them. The startling statement obscures equally startling inequities: Our world is such that the wealthiest 50 million people consume as much as the 2.7 billion poorest. If everyone lived like Americans, we would need about 5.4 planets.

It’s precisely this resource deficit that we’re trying to get a handle on when we talk about measuring our ecological footprint. A useful accounting of the natural resources required to support our lifestyles, it has nothing to do with shoes and everything to do with the sustainability of our planet.

To find out more about the issues involved, including the size of your own footprint, take this online quiz or read the article in Sierra Magazine. Then come back. We’ll show you ways to personally reduce your impact and keep a running tally of how much acreage visitors to the site have pledged to save. It’s not enough to shake our heads at the shame of it all. We’re asking you to pledge to make a difference.