Eco footprint

Eco Footprint

Game mechanic · Featured in:

Eco Footprint

Eco Footprint Mode on the Map. This showcases each neighborhood's eco footprint stage.

Eco Footprint is introduced in The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle. Eco footprint is the pollution levels of the separate neighborhoods in every world except StrangerVille and destination worlds. There are three types of levels of pollution: Green, Neutral, and Industrial, each can be seen from the map by toggling the "Eco Footprint Mode" on the world map.

Evergreen Harbor starts off with each neighborhood on each three different levels of pollution, and every other world starts off with neutral except from park lots which are green.

Pollution Levels

Green

Green is the pinacle of a healthy environment, sunshine rays appear during the day and auroras appear during the night. Grims Quarry is by default in Green, and benefits from having much more foliage, healthier looking surroundings, and a much more eco-friendly neighborhood.

Neutral

Neutral is the default pollution for every neighborhood in each world except from park lots, and two of the other neighborhoods in Evergreen Harbor. Neutral pollution is the inbetween where the environment around the neighborhood doesn't suffers from negative effects of pollution, however, it can also be improved through the use of neighborhood action plans.

Industrial

Industrial is the depths of an unhealthy environment, smog clouds the neighborhood, foliage appears less healthy, and trash appears everywhere. Port Promise is by default Industrial and due to the low pollution Sims in the neighborhood suffer from random coughs and risk becoming sick. Flies infest random objects, especially dumpsters, and can put Sims at risk of death by flies.

Making a Change

Sims can manipulate their eco footprint and help or worsen their neighborhood's environmental health through multiple ways.

Household Eco Footprint

Every object in build mode has a tiny effect over surrounding eco footprint which can be multiplied by other houses in the neighborhood. Roofing, walls, and flooring all constitute towards either green or industrial.

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Special objects that govern power and water can highly effect eco footprint:

• Solar Panels - Solar panels can be purchased to generate power from the sun, this is entirely free of negative effects on the eco footprint.
• Wind Turbines - Wind turbines can be purchased to generate power from the wind, this is entirely free of negative effects on the eco footprint.
• Dew Collectors - Dew collectors can be purchased to collect condensation and water droplets in the air, this is entirely free of negative effects on eco footprint.
• Household Power Generators - Generators can be purchased to generate power, however due to their usage of oil, it will cause pollution towards industrial. If Sims have a composter for insects, they can generate natural oil for the generator as a green alternative.
• Atmospheric Water Generators - Water pumps can be purchased to generate water, however due to the method of extraction, it will cause pollution towards industrial.

Neighborhood Action Plan

Sims can participate in neighborhood action plans in order to get the community work together on projects to help benefit the environment.

Seasons

With Seasons installed, the eco footprint has extra effects with weather. While the weather doesn't affect pollution or the eco footprint, it does add an additional weather for Sims to experience: when in the Industrial stage of the eco footprint, there is a chance there will be Acid Rain. Acid rain behaves like normal rain except it is putrid brown as well as will exceedingly make Sims in the rain dirtier and rapidly drop their hygiene need.

Seasonal weather also can affect green energy sources, for instance:

• Windy days will make Wind Turbines generate more power.
• Cloudy days will make the Solar Panels work less effeciently.
• Rainy days will make Dew Collectors generate more water.