Download Ecological Footprint

Introduction to
Resources and
Ecological Footprint
"Geography is the
study of The Earth
as the home of
people"
Yi-Fu Tuan 1991
Its about people and
the decisions people
make in their lives.
How place affects
people’s decisions
and how people’s
decisions affect the
place we live.
So what is our
relationship
with our home,
the Earth?
The global economy is now so large that
society can no longer safely pretend it
operates within a limitless ecosystem.
Developing an economy that can be
sustained within the finite biosphere
requires new ways of thinking.
Hernan Daly 2005
Sustainable
Development
Sustainable development – is development
that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-ov.htm#I.3
Sustainable Development requires a
change in mindset
BUT decisions are generally made by companies and politicians.
Companies have an obligation to shareholders to make profits. They
work on a short term time scale having to publish annual reports on their
performance.
Politicians in democracies are accountable to their electorates. They
work on a political timescale relating to elections every five years.
It could be argued that it is
human nature to respond
to the immediate threat
and work to protect ones
family.
This argument is used to
justify short term decision
making and decisions
which are taken for self
interest.
Think on a different timescales
Human Lifespan and future generations. The concept of
intergenerational equity is fundamental to sustainability.
Biological timescale. The time taken for an ecosystem to regenerate
to its climatic climax. Hundred years for deciduous woodland, thousands of
years for tropical rainforest.
And try to comprehend Geological timescale. The Earth has been in
existence for 4.5 billion years. Humans have lived on this Earth for a tiny
fraction of that time. 400,000 years. Fossil fuels and minerals are
considered finite because they formed over millions of years.
But it is possible for people to work for a common purpose
and for a purpose on a timescale beyond a human lifespan.
Future generations should not inherit a degraded Earth; without natural
resources, biodiversity or functioning climate and ecosystems and with high
levels of pollution.
How can we measure our impact on the environment?
Ecological footprint
Our impact on the
environment can be
measured using
ecological footprint.
It represents the
amount of biologically
productive land and
sea area needed to
regenerate the
resources a human
population consumes
and to absorb and
render harmless the
corresponding waste.
The question is, are we using up resources
faster than the Earth can regenerate them?
Weekly food shop for
an average German
family. $500
USA : 346$ per week
Chad : $1,62 per week
Ecological Footprint per Country as a Proportion of Global Total
USA high due to high consumption levels, China and India high mainly due to
high populations.
Ecological Footprints of different countries
Red = Highest per capita footprints
Living Planet Report WWF
If we all lived like
the average
person form the
USA we would
need 5 Earths.
But how are we
doing as a global
population
overall?
Nef 2009
Not good!
Our current global situation: Since the mid 1980s, humanity
has been in ecological overshoot with annual demand on
resources exceeding what Earth can regenerate each year.
It now takes the Earth one year and four months to regenerate
what we use in a year. (Global Footprint Network)
This is because of two main factors;
1. Consumption explosion
2. Population explosion
Relying on continuously improving technology to
avoid or at least postpone catastrophe.
Biocapacity
Biocapacity is the amount of productive land and sea (measured in
hectares 100mx100m) which is available for use.
Two factors affect biocapacity.
1 – The AREA of land/sea available. How much is there?
The land area cultivated by humans is increasing leaving less land in its
natural state. eg rainforests being cut down for palm oil cultivation. This
leaves less forest to absorb our carbon emissions.
2 – The BIOPRODUCTIVITY of that land/sea. Yield?
With careful management land can be cultivated without it being degraded.
Technology can be used to increase yields. High Yield Varieties of crops,
GM, mechanisation, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation.
But it must be noted that tech inputs can increase the ecological footprint
due to increased energy consumption.
Ecological Footprint
Population
More people consume more resources. High growth rates in lower
income countries is the main factor increasing the Ecological Footprint in
those areas.
Consumption per Person
Continued economic growth means ever larger economies producing
more and increasingly affluent people consuming more, using more
resources and producing more waste leading to increasing Ecological
Footprint.
Resource and Waste Intensity
How efficiently are resources used? Our ability to extract a greater
amount of wealth from the resources we use. (new technologies, energy
efficiencies, renewable energy, reusing and recycling, green design)