Page 12 - TNE WORKBOOK

Activity 2:

Goal-Setting (10 mins)

Writing down our goals, using concrete language, has been shown in multiple contexts to increase the
likelihood of us actually carrying them out. For this Transition Streets program as a whole, spend a minute or
two separately writing out what your main goal will be. Try to write it using the following format, and make
your goal as specific as possible, so for example, instead of saying ‘I will improve the environment’, you could
say ‘I will cut my personal emissions footprint in half by the end of 2017’: “I will [list desired achievement] by
[specify deadline], through [write a quick explanation of how you’ll achieve the goal].”

Activity 3:
Figuring out where you’re at – calculating your ecological footprint and
greenhouse gas emissions

Step 1 (5 minutes)
The ecological footprint calculator gives each of us a fairly good indication of our ecological footprint, based
on our current lifestyles. “Ecological footprint” means the estimated space and resources on the planet
needed to keep us living the way they currently live (including calculating the area of biologically active land
and water area that is required to produce the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and to
manage the waste we produce).

Most of you will have completed the SEE-Change online ecological footprint when you registered for the
Transition Streets program. But if you haven’t done so yet, take the next few mins to fill out the online form
here, (full link is: http://www.theneighbourhoodeffect.com.au/ts_join) so you can calculate your ecological
footprint and then discuss your results with your group. By using this calculator tool at the beginning and at
the end of the program, you can get a good ballpark estimate of the total impact of the changes you’ve made
to live more sustainably.

Step 2 (5 minutes)
Measuring your greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is also an important indicator of your effect on climate
change compared with the average citizen. Spend ten minutes each using this calculator now to obtain some
idea of how large each of your greenhouse gas emissions are before you begin any improvements. The great
thing about this tool is it will also give you an idea of which particular items, such as petrol consumption,
heating or food shopping, are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions for you: www.epa.vic.gov.au/
agc/home.html

NOTE: Click the white icons in the top left corner to switch between different categories:

Step 3 (10 minutes)
Once you’re done with both online tools, spend 10 minutes discussing the results you each got in your group
for the ecological footprint calculator and the greenhouse gas survey. What areas do you want to work on as
individuals? How about as a team?

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