FOOTPRINTS

Marci Araki went to the University of Victoria in the late 1980s during all the protests over saving Clayquot Sound and Vancouver Island’s rainforest, so she was exposed to the importance of being environmentally aware at a young age.

“One of the things I’ve noticed since moving to Montreal from Vancouver is that recycling seems to be more ingrained in society [in Vancouver],” she said. “Apartment buildings there have recycling bins for all tenants and different bins for garbage, newspaper, plastics.”

Araki also grew up with parents who are very environmentally conscious. She had always eaten organically-grown vegetables and used the compost bin in the garden. Being aware of where food comes from is something she understood. But here in Montreal, her lifestyle is different.

“As much as I’d like to eat only organic produce, my student budget doesn’t allow for such luxuries,” she said. “Not eating man-made or processed food is almost impossible now, especially living in a city where a lot of us don’t have space to grow our own food.”

How many planets it would take if everyone lived like Araki: 4.1


The average ecological footprint in Canada is 8.8 global acres per person.


Worldwide, there exists 1.8 biologically productive acres per person.

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