What attracted you to this project / why did you want to be involved?
Vargas: The magnitude of the message is what attracted me to this project. Human Footprint does not just tell you how many hamburgers you will eat in a lifetime. We trace those hamburgers back to the farm where the cattle were raised. The film then shows the resources it took to raise those cows and bring the meat to market. Following the life cycle of these items really opens your eyes to the impact that one hamburger or can of soda or bottle of shampoo has on the world.
What was it like actually seeing these amazing setups and thinking about all that we consume as Americans?
Vargas: The setups were elaborate, and the crew put great effort into making sure that every detail was met. When they pulled apart the car, there was a forklift that moved heavy parts like the motor around the map. Volunteers carried spark plugs and the windshield from country to country on the map until everything was in its place of origin.
Then, there were the ducks. Twelve Human Footprint volunteers spent an entire morning laying out 28,433 ducks ¡ª each one representing the showers we will take in a lifetime. How much room does it take for all those ducks?
Vargas: The ducks started in the second-floor bathroom of an average house, went down the stairs, outside the front door, spilling out onto the street, into the neighborhood and eventually down the road to a nearby pond ¡ª creating a stunning visual representation of how much time we spend in the shower!
Did the making of this film impact your human footprint?
Vargas: Yes, I now look at what I and my family consume. From the diapers I put on my son to the newspapers I recycle, I see everything differently and try to conserve as much as possible. I find myself shutting off lights more than ever before and taking that extra step to unplug unused appliances. We forget that even though that appliance is not in use, just by being plugged in, it uses energy and resources.
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| "It is amazing to think about what we leave behind just in landfills." - Elizabeth Vargas |
What was the most shocking fact you learned while filming Human Footprint?
Vargas: I was amazed at how much Americans actually throw away. We will generate 246 million tons of trash this year alone. We will throw away 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars and 36 billion aluminum cans. And I never knew that packaging alone accounts for 33 percent of the trash we make. It is amazing to think about what we leave behind just in landfills.
What do you hope viewers will learn from this show?
Vargas: I hope that everyone watching this show can see that as each of us has an impact, each of us has a footprint. We also each have a responsibility to monitor our consumption and work on reducing our footprint. I know that every new fact I learned has helped me to look at my household and ways that we can reduce our consumption.
If each of us just lowers the thermostat 2 degrees in wintertime and raises it 2 degrees in summertime, we could each save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year.
