Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 26/02) - Well, you'd think living in a shack would be worthy of an automatic membership in the "Environmentally Friendly People of the World" club, or at least a sage nod from Ecology North.

It didn't take long for France Benoit to realize her feet were big enough for more than eight planets, after writing the ecological footprint quiz last week. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

After all, there is nary a toilet to flush, a thermostat to crank, or a heated garage to park my BMW.

I live without any of these things, and for that, I thought I deserved a break. Particularly, from the tsk-tsking of doomsday environmentalists, who insist the world is taking its last few spins around the toilet bowl, before plunging down the drain for good.

David Suzuki's recent dig at our fair town for an apparent overabundance of SUVs comes to mind.

I was feeling free and clear. That is, until I ran into France Benoit, who is organizing Earth Day festivities this week.

She thought it would be a hoot if we sat down and filled out the 2002 ecological footprint quiz, located at earthday.net on the World Wide Web.

Most of the questions were gimmes: What is the size of your home? Decidedly minuscule. Next. Do you have electricity in your home? Sure, but again, my household is decidedly minuscule, right?

I mean, just how much environmental damage could little ol' me possibly do?

Some of the questions, however, proved troublesome: Meat consumption? You can just put that leg of lamb on the hot plate next to me, thank you. Do you bicycle, walk, or use animal power to get around? Hey, can't you see I'm digesting this lamb? Next question, please.

Nonetheless, after completing the quiz, I was shocked to discover that if everyone on Earth was like me, we would need another 3.3 similarly sized planets to keep everything hunky dory.

It could have been worse. More than eight planets would be needed if Earth were the planet of the France Benoits.

"I knew the big killer would be the driving I do," said Benoit sheepishly after completing the quiz. She lives with her partner at a cottage on Madeline Lake.

The irony of having to drive over to meet me to write the quiz was not lost on her.

"I had to drive here to do the ecological footprint, because that was what was best for you," said Benoit. "The next thing scheduled today is at 5:30 (p.m.) for an Ecology North meeting.

"Two things I should have done was say 'no' to the quiz, and 'no' to the meeting, or have the two less far apart. I have six hours to kill. It's so easy to go home. It's a beautiful drive."

Perhaps almost as beautiful as my flight to Vancouver last week. Clear skies, mountains underneath, the lulling sound of jet engines thrusting us onward towards Lotus Land.

I spared not a single thought on jet fuel consumption rates, or the amount of meat contained in my on-board meal.

"To me, the quiz shows that it (consumption) affects everybody, even the conscientious," said Benoit. "It's a reality check for all of us."