Exchange Morning Post

The University of Guelph will launch its web-based “Zerofootprint” calculator Friday February 15, at 11 a.m. on the main floor of the Library. The cutting-edge tool will allow people to measure their ecological footprint and reduce their collective impact on the environment.

U of G teamed up with Zerofootprint, a Toronto-based nonprofit agency, last fall to develop the initiative as part of the University’s environmental sustainability efforts. It involves a web-based calculator allowing people to estimate and analyze the impact of daily activities such as car travel and electricity use on the environment.

The online tool is unique because it not only calculates a person’s carbon footprint, but it also determines their land, water and tree footprint. For example, the calculator shows users how much carbon is emitted into the atmosphere based on the distance their food has travelled or how much land and water are required to sustain their diet.

It also provides users with advice on how to modify habits and behaviours to shrink their footprint, including setting goals and tracking successes online.

U of G is the first post-secondary institution to engage its entire community on climate change by encouraging members to measure and manage their environmental footprint.

“No one is in a better position to take advantage of the opportunities the Zerofootprint calculator presents than the University,” said President Alastair Summerlee. “The calculator is a way to take social action online. Change has always been about the individual acting as part of a collective – that’s what the calculator allows.”

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