Ecologically speaking, Sarasota County is leading the nation by minimizing its environmental impact. However, we still have one of the highest Eco-Footprints in the world and a long way to go to achieve true sustainability.

Our Ecological Impact at a Glance

Sarasota County residents utilize 22.8 global acres each to meet their current lifestyle. Yet there are only 2.1 acres of bioproductive land available per person in Sarasota County. This means that the county exceeds a rate of true sustainability by over ten times, consuming resources from many other parts of the globe and causing environmental disturbance on millions of acres of land. This level of consumption also limits the availability of resources to citizens in other parts of the world.
 

  
   In total, Sarasota County relies on 7,519,000 acres to sustain its population. That means it would take    15 Sarasota Counties for our community to sustain itself!

Fast Facts on Sarasota County

• If everyone on the planet lived as we do in Sarasota County, we would need five more planets to provide our demands for food, energy, goods and services.

• To completely balance the pollution we produce through energy consumption, each Sarasota County resident would need to plant approximately 3,000 trees.

• To provide for our county’s food needs, each Sarasota household would need to manage and 11-and-a-half-acre farm.

• The average Sarasota County resident who drives about 14,000 miles per year would have to plant 880 trees to absorb the carbon dioxide emitted from his or her automobile.

• While Sarasota County recycles 32% of its total waste, this effort, when compared with our rate of consumption, improves our ecological footprint by only 1%.

Help Reduce Our Eco-Footprint!

Sarasota County residents can help reduce our Ecological Footprint by practicing sustainable living at home. Simple lifestyle changes can make a big environmental impact.

For instance, by replacing just one incandescent light bulb with an energy-saving compact fluorescent lamp, you can eliminate 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Eating organic food, buying locally-produced goods and driving a fuel-efficient car are a few more easy ways to live lightly on the planet. How to Reduce Your Eco-Footprint

For more information:

Sarasota County Ecological Footprint Assessment (July 2004)
The full report on our ecological impact compiled by Redefining Progress.

Press Release: Sarasota County Measures Its Ecological Footprint (July 2004)
The most recent updates on Sarasota County's Eco-Footprint efforts.

Database of Ecological Indicators for Sarasota County
Learn about the research used to calcuate our Eco-Footprint.