At the Santa Monica Festival on Saturday, the city's eco-credentials were on full display.
Children had a chance to operate the controls of a municipal recycling truck. Their parents could attend a seminar titled "Demystifying Recycling." There was information about energy-saving lightbulbs, community gardens -- and a novel approach to calculating how much of the Earth's natural resources one person uses.
The Ecological Footprint, a tool developed by the nonprofit public policy group Redefining Progress, is being used by city officials to evaluate their use of the planet's resources and educate residents about factors such as land use, transit, waste and recycling. It measures the impact individuals have on the planet by calculating how much land it takes to provide them with such things as food, energy and other resources. The result, determined by a computer program, is called a footprint. Each person should ideally have a footprint of 4.5 acres, which is how much land can be spared on the crowded planet to supply his or her needs.
A person or community determines a footprint by inputting such variables as amount of fuel used, the type of food eaten, commuting lengths, reliance on public transportation and use of energy-efficient appliances.
The average Santa Monican needs 20.5 acres, which is below the national average of 24.
"We in Santa Monica are using more than our fair share," said Dean Kubani, a senior environmental analyst for the city whose own footprint is an enviable 9 acres. "We want to get people to ask, 'What can we do to make our footprint smaller?' "
As he spoke, visitors to the booth sat down in front of a bank of computers and received a rundown on whether their level of consumerism is sustainable. They were greeted by Redefining Progress' senior research associate, Jason Venetoulis. "Last time I checked, I think my footprint was 11 acres. But since then, I've taken a couple of trips," he admitted sheepishly, worried about fossil fuel emissions.
As Venetoulis walked Kerry Candaele and his two daughters, Helena and Camille, through the program, he launched into eco-speak, using terms like "fair Earth share" and "built space." Helena, who was paying attention, stopped him. "What's unsustainable?" she asked.
"Is there an easy way to explain that to a 7-year-old?" her father asked Venetoulis.
