The Environmental Impact and Responsibility of Fairfield County

When asked to think of how humans harm the planet, many may think of littering or deforestation. However, Fairfield County’s consumerist lifestyle is an invisible giant when it comes to menaces of environmental health, and as a result, our ecological footprint is just as monstrous.

An ecological footprint is a measurement of an individual’s impact on Earth. The EPA’s “Ecological Footprint Calculator” allows you to determine how much land would be needed if everyone on the planet lived with your lifestyle by considering the following six categories:

1. Transportation
2. Energy
3. Food/commodity consumption
4. House and garden
5. Domestic waste and recycling
6. Water usage

Essentially, the smaller amount of production or usage of the above, the healthier the planet will be. Less energy and resource consumption results in fewer greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, pollution being released, and resources being depleted. Furthermore, fewer people consuming disposable items results in less waste in landfills.

Connecticut is one of the leading states in developing climate change legislation with over 20 acts passed in efforts to decrease the state’s ecological footprint. Nonetheless, the path to eco-friendliness is not solely in the hands of the government. The choices of individuals and small communities can make some of the most significant differences — and Fairfield County has the upper hand in making this possible.

However, Fairfield County rings in as the wealthiest county in the state with $102,598 as its mean earnings, surpassing the second highest, Litchfield County, by over $30,000. There is a direct correlation between wealth and consumption: quite simply, by having more money, Fairfield County is able to spend it on more goods and more services.

Judging by the amount of money Fairfield County citizens have on average to spend on bigger homes, bigger families, more expensive food, more traveling, and more material goods, it’s clear that our overall spending habits have a big impact on the planet.

Now, an entire lifestyle makeover isn’t necessary to help fix the problems exacerbated by affluent lifestyles. We don’t need to go sell our houses and move into a cottage or never buy a new cellphone again (though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing). Nevertheless, we have the means — both monetarily and socially — and the responsibility to create great environmental change that others cannot.

For example, the county’s wealth enables us to invest in a multitude of eco-friendly technologies and consume more environmentally consciously. We could buy solar panels that will lower our electricity bills and the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air, or purchase reusable products like water bottles and shopping bags. We can afford local food at farmers markets (we have over twenty county-wide!) or organic food stores which sell fresher, healthier food that is less resource-dependant for transportation, packaging, and processing.

And beyond spending more thoughtfully, we could be spending less altogether and still lead a very satisfying life. Purchasing fewer consumer goods reduces the amount of resources needed, and research shows that individuals who have decreased their ecological footprint by lowering their consumption levels additionally lowered their “financial costs and maintain closer bonds with their neighbors, all of which translates to a less stressed, more fulfilling lifestyle.”

Additionally, the high social status of Fairfield County grants us the voice to successfully protest what we don’t like. Since governmental positions are often held by the wealthy population, Fairfield County has more governmental connections to lobby with. Furthermore, the affluent have a greater ability to organize and take part in decision-making processes since the poor are frequently deprived of rights and robbed of a voice. By advocating for more environmentally conscious technologies, regulations, and activities, Fairfield County citizens can not only better the quality of their own lives, but we can be speaking for those who have no voice to be heard.

I recognize that some citizens of Fairfield County consume much less than others, but as a whole, the County’s wealth enables heightened levels of consumption. Now, if saving money still isn’t a concern for you, and you really just don’t care about the earth, how about your health? Caring for the planet is caring for our own health and the health of those we love. Goods that we carelessly buy and throw out quickly end up in landfills, and their chemicals may leach into the ground and pollute our groundwater with carcinogens and other dangerous chemicals. Buying local, fresh food decreases the chances that we will be exposed to the over 1 billions pounds of neurotoxic, carcinogenic pesticides used on the food we eat every day. The fossil fuels that power our homes, vehicles, and the factories that make the material goods we buy release tons of air pollution which can contribute to heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases, especially in children. Changing how much we consume and where it comes from is definitely worth the effort in order to avoid the potentially life-threatening health effects of doing otherwise.

Although Fairfield County has a negative impact on the environment due to our high consumption levels, we have an even bigger potential to make positive change for ourselves, for our community, and for the planet as a whole. If we choose to take advantage of the loud collective voice we have and the economic choices we can make, we could reduce our ecological footprint and place it on the path toward a happier, healthier county.