National Geographic Channel to Leave Human Footprint

Special to Examine One Person's Impact on the Environment Based on Their Consumption

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, April 7, 2008

National Geographic Channel will premiere a special April 13, Human Footprint, which quantifies one person's impact on the environment based on their consumption of things like milk, eggs, bread and gasoline.

The point of the show, which airs at 9 p.m., is to illustrate that people are consuming much more than the end product, including the fuel it takes to manufacture, store and ship the commodities.

For example, according to a Web site set up to complement the show, 19,826 eggs are eaten in an average lifetime, but it is more than just the egg that is being consumed, the show pointed out, saying, "You're eating the gas the truck used to deliver that egg. That's your human footprint."

The special is anchored by ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas, who will also host a screening of the show in Washington, D.C., Tuesday followed by a panel discussion on the topic.

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