How to Benchmark Success in Green Living

A recent Gallup shows that 94% of Americans are aware of Climate Change issues, and of that segment 75% feel that action needs to be taken. So what percentage of Americans is transferring this awareness into action? What impact would it have if 75% of the US population took personal action to address climate issues?

The gap between awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress. While historical efforts have focused on expanding awareness, the recent explosion of information and global interest indicates that the “word is out” on most major issues. The next step is closing the growing gap between knowledge and personal action.

Here's where the tried and true adage applies: "What gets measured, gets managed." While expressed more frequently in a business setting, it applies to our personal lives as well. For instance, if you want to lose weight, first you have to know how much you weigh to benchmark your success. Similarly, in living a sustainable lifestyle, you first need to know the areas of your environmental impacts to measure your success.

Frequently, in our eco friendly consulting we are greeted with a common question: How do I know what my impacts are? Where do I even begin? Offered are two sustainable living toolkits to guide you:

Discover you impacts here and take eco action today: PineMark
Discover how much land area it takes to support your lifestyle with Global Footprint Network

A first step in sustainable living is eco awareness of your environmental impacts. Life is dynamic, so reassessing your impacts, successes in reducing those impacts, and exploring areas for continuous improvement on a regular basis is encouraged for a truly sustainable lifestyle.