Ecological Footprint

We Depend on Nature  We exchange energy and matter with our environment as we eat, drink, and breathe.  We use natural resources to meet all of our needs.  Ex. Food, water, shelter, clothing, transportation etc.

We Depend on Nature  Nature  Absorbs our wastes  Provides climate stability  Protects us from ultraviolet radiation  In modern times, we often fail to see ourselves as a part of nature.  However, we are connected with nature, and it is the very source of our lives and well being.

Ecological Footprints  Ecological Footprint is a measure of how much a person, business, city, or nation impacts their environment.  It is expressed in terms of the amount of land needed to provide the resources each person uses.  Production and use of goods and services involve land use and therefore have ecological footprints.

Land Use  Land is used to produce:  Energy  Food  Building materials  Land is also taken up by towns, cities, factories, farms, etc.  The more land is used by a person, business, city, or nation, the higher that entity’s ecological footprint is.

Ecological Footprint  People in well developed nations have a higher ecological footprint than people in less developed nations. This means that people in the developed nations are using much more resources than those in less developed nations.

National Footprints  In U.S. each person uses about 11 acres per person.  Worldwide average = about 3.5 acres per person.  Therefore, if everyone were to adopt the U.S. consumptive style, we would need 3 Earths to provide all of the needed resources.

National Footprints  Holland population = 15 million  Density = roughly 4.4 people per 2.5 acres.  Consumption is less than in U.S.  Still, Holland requires 15x more land than is within the country for  Food  Forest Products  Energy Use  Therefore, the ecosystems that support Holland lie far beyond their national borders.

Urban Footprints  Imagine if New York City were covered by a bubble and could not utilize outside resources.  Most people would die within a few days.  Cities depend on much greater amount of land than what it occupies.  Important resources come from places outside the city.

Urban Footprints  Because NYC’s population is so high (8.4 million), the bubble would have to be far larger than the city itself for the city to be self-sustaining.  Estimates on the amount of land necessary to provide for NYC varies, but some believe it may be as much land as is in the entire state of Texas!

Iowa Footprint  Iowa Population is 2,776,000  Iowans need 31,250,000 acres of average land to support themselves  Iowa area is 36,250,000 acres.  Therefore Iowa can support at least another 444,000 Americans.

Science’s Objection to Footprint Analysis  Some scientists claim that Footprint Analysis is a crude simplification.  They argue that interactions with nature are complex and cannot be reduced to a matter of acreage.  Footprints may actually underestimate impact of humans on environment.

Answer to Scientific Objection  Footprint analysis may not tell whole story, but it is good enough to show us what must be done.  We must:  Reduce consumption  Improve technology  Change unsustainable practices.

Optimism Objection  Optimists claim that ecological footprints are depressing.  Some believe no problem is too big for humanity to easily solve.  Others are willfully ignorant because they do not want to accept or think about the problems we face.  Furthermore, some people are simply selfish and fear that living sustainably will harm their quality of life. What, me worry?

Answer to Optimism  Acknowledging finite capacity of nature is not pessimistic: is realistic  It helps us make wise decisions so that future generations will survive and thrive.  If we make wise choices, we may increase quality of life.  Sooner we start moving toward sustainability, easier it will be for humanity.  Footprint assumption: we must live within global carrying capacity  Number of people the earth can sustain

Uncertainty of Future Technological Advances  We cannot anticipate future benefits or drawbacks of new technologies.  We can make some predictions or assumptions, but they do not always play out the way we imagine they will.

Answer to Technology Fix  When people are faced with a problem they often come up with a solution  Medicine  Transportation  Communication  Technology must play a role in making society more sustainable.  Many believe technology will allow us to fix any problem in the future, but that is not guaranteed.

Problems of Technology Fix  Gains in technology can sometimes encourage consumption.  For example, cars may become more energy efficient through technological advancements, but if the amount of cars on the roads increases enough, the amount of energy used to power cars could actually increase. Gas-Electric Hybrid Car

Ecological Footprint  William Rees calculated that if developed nations worked together they could easily reduce their ecological footprint.  Don’t use cars when you don’t absolutely have to.  Thoroughly insulate homes.  Grow your own food.  Recycle and make goods last.

Reducing ecologic footprint  Avoid driving whenever possible.  Bikes and walking are often a good alternative.  Burning gas gives off CO 2.  Ecologic footprint can be reduced by up to 20% if we all reduce our driving time.

Reducing ecologic footprint.  Grow your own fruits and vegetables and don’t waste food.  Growing fruits and vegetables reduces wastes associated with refrigeration, packaging, and transportation.  Leftover food or food that spoils can be used to create compost which can be used as fertilizer. This recycles nutrients into the soil and new crops.  This can reduce ecologic footprint by 11%.

Reducing ecologic footprint  Make your home energy efficient.  Thoroughly insulating homes will keep heat in and reduce the need for more energy.  Reduces CO2 emissions.  It will also save money.

Reducing ecologic footprint Water is an essential natural resource, so reducing your water usage also reduces ecologic footprint. You can install low flow toilets and shower heads. Avoid bottled water by using filters instead. Take navy showers. Collecting rainwater for watering gardens.

Reducing ecologic footprint  Reduce, reuse, recycle  Recycle items whenever possible.  Avoid over packaged products when shopping.  Donate unwanted items to charities.  Try to get the most out of goods.