All of us need to make a difference and to be accountable for what we consume. Some statistics on results of two little things we can do each day would help to keep me motivated to be better. – NOLS Staff

Any signs of slowed progress toward resource depletion, in hopes of someday stopping this process that is rampant and currently terminal. – NOLS Instructor

Great question. Perhaps it’s the degree of awareness and effort put into action as a result. – NOLS Instructor 

This is tough. One can look at the quantities of recycling in a community. Also the demand placed on products that are local and with less packaging and transport involved. – NOLS Staff

I have to haul my own trash to the transfer station. Because I recycle, reduce and reuse, on average I take two garbage cans every three weeks. Sometimes less. I'm contributing less to landfills. And getting some awesome compost that builds my garden soil, giving back to the environment where I live. I've tracked my auto fuel use over the years and by buying a diesel car that gets 46 mpg, I've reduced my average fuel use to about 300 gals per year. Going bio-diesel was important to reduce my oil use even further. I buy from a grassroots, start-up business, supporting alternate fuel technology and green business. – WMI Instructor

Net carbon cost. – NOLS Staff and Instructor  

It is hard to measure. The more people that come up to me and ask me questions about what I am doing or environmental topics, the more I know I am spreading the message. – NOLS Instructor 

Great question with a tough answer. – NOLS Staff and Instructor

I think most measures are internal. We can measure an economic value of recycled newspaper and aluminum. – NOLS Instructor and Board Member

I'd love to know the answer to that. – NOLS Staff

Numbers and judgments. Pointing out who is doing the worst job, and rewarding those who do the best. – NOLS Staff

Valuing tradeoffs in ecosystem services is something I leave to the experts (www.maweb.org - fortunately my partner is one of them). – NOLS Instructor 

How much people are talking about it? How much teenagers are talking about it? What are big companies doing? Can I sleep at night, with a clear conscious? – WMI Instructor

Hard to measure. I measure myself, and that is measured by feel. I feel we can’t measure other individuals as everyone does what they can and what they know about. It is going to last longer if people are doing it out of their own desire rather than others telling them to do it. Now that said, I feel there are large-scale by-laws and systems that can be put in place that set standards for individuals to rise to. – NOLS Staff and Instructor  

It's subjective, but can be measured based on some criteria. For example, there is a scale on the web. – NOLS Instructor 

You can use the carbon footprint as one of the measurement. Or List ten most important things to be green and measure 1 to 10 scales. – NOLS Instructor

I don't. Going by my “feelings.” I need to do more. – NOLS Instructor 

Footprint quizzes are a good place to start. – NOLS Instructor

Absolutely no impact in the big picture. There is no so much conspicuous consumption in this country, that any attempts by NOLS and its followers are imperceptible. I'll keep trying, but the near future is bleak. – NOLS Instructor

In quality of life. – NOLS Instructor 

I suppose measuring the health of the planet would be one way. But nothing that you could readily connect with your individual actions. – NOLS Staff 

I don't know how to measure that; I just feel better knowing that I'm not the asshole marring the future world for next generations. – NOLS Staff and Instructor

Personally measurement is a small motivator, I just always do my best. Externally, such things as carbon emissions and environmental footprint can be measured. – NOLS Instructor

I don't know how to answer this. Maybe people get leaner and have less health problems if they choose to walk rather than drive?  Maybe we use fewer resources and thus don't need to muck around in regions of the world with oil. – NOLS Staff and Instructor

Are others following?  The organic food industry, green building, alternative energy, and alternative fuel vehicles- these were all once thought of as hippy utopian dreams and now they are reality. – NOLS Instructor  

By the behavior of social groups which have little spare time and resources, i.e., people engaged in minimum wage jobs at a low level of social standing. – NOLS Staff and Instructor 

I don't. Carbon footprint? – NOLS Instructor

Through community and environmental health. – NOLS Staff and Instructor  

Intuition. – NOLS Staff and Instructor 

Reduction in CO2 output. Reduction in water use. Reduction in solid waste (i.e., landfill). Reduction in consumption of hard goods. – NOLS Instructor

I don’t. It is an ethic for me. – NOLS Staff and Instructor 

I believe that we face a global climate crisis that is generations in the making and will probably take generations to resolve. That said, in our life times we have seen the positive impacts of legislation that has resulted in more environmentally sustainable habits: the Clean Air Act, the end of leaded fuel use, the banning of CFC's, etc. Many of the steps that we have taken in the past and, I believe, should take in the future, may appear small in and of themselves but I believe they are cumulative. Like climbing a mountain, the goal may seem initially out of reach but with each succeeding step you draw closer to achieving it. – NOLS Instructor

Level of knowledge/buzz in a given group/community. – NOLS Instructor

Record travel, estimate garbage vs. recycling on a weekly basis, processed vs. organic vs. sustainable food consumption. I would say it is more of an impression than an actual quantitative measurement, but I would like to see a daily tool anyone can use to measure. – WMI Instructor 

I think most measures are internal. We can measure an economic value of recycled newspaper and aluminum. – NOLS Staff and Instructor