Ecological Footprint Accounting Tool for Sustainability
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Transcript of Ecological Footprint Accounting Tool for Sustainability
Ecological Footprint Accounting Tool for Sustainability
Balance between: Resource demand: How much of the biospheres
regenerative capacity is used by human activities? Resource supply:
How much regenerative capacity is available? Biosphere regenerative
capacity
Capacity of soil, water, plants, animals, micro-organisms to
provide resources without being exhausted. EG soil to grow food
without eroding/losing fertility, forests to regrow after felling,
fish stocks to build up after harvesting EG surface and groundwater
to provide drinking, industry, crop irrigation etc supply Capacity
for vegetation to absorb CO2, water to break down pollutants to
harmless substances Energy assumed to be the biggest problem
Climate change associated with rising GHGs assumed to be the
biggest current threat to biosphere regenerative capacity Energy
production and consumption given greatest weighting Carbon
footprint focuses solely on GHG emissions [not covered here]
Overhang assumption We can use biosphere resources eg fish, timber,
soil, water, oil, gas etc faster than: (1) they can regenerate, (2)
our waste products can be assimilated [ie not accumulate in
toxic/damaging concentrations in air, water, on land]. But only for
while.. Eventually either they run out, or we pollute our planet
with very bad consequences for our wellbeing Ecological Footprint
We measure the mutually exclusive types of areas necessary to
produce the resources we consume and absorb the waste we produce.
The unit is a global hectare [gha]( m), with the average
productivity of the worlds bio-productive surface (ocean and land).
Assumes everybody on Earth is entitled to equal share of global
resources Footprint components Ecological Footprint Footprint
components FossilenergieverbauteAbfall NahrungHolz und Faser Flche
Fossil FuelBuilt-up WasteFood Fibres, Firewood absorption W.Pekny,
Plattform Footprint Ecological Footprint Non renewable fossil fuels
impacts are calculated with the area necessary to absorb the
emitted CO2 (forest and oceans). Note each piece of land is assumed
to have only one effect. Eg forest land to absorb carbon dioxide
does not also provide timber, fish etc Many methodological issues
arise Bioproductive segments
Biocapacity 67% Oceans withlow productivity 22% Bioproductive
segments 4% Oceans with high productivity Bioproductive segments
13.4 B hectares 18% productive land 11% Deserts, ice Ecological
Footprint The very complex ecological inter-relations are
summarized to simple parameter: area. The strength of the concept
is the obvious and indisputable limit of area on planet Earth. No
matter how much money, houses, industries we have, we need
biocapacity to survive 13.4B ha bio productive area
Ecological Footprint Footprint The only sustainability metric with
an undisputable maximum value: one Earth. 13.4B ha bio productive
area Assuming a fair allocation of area, there is about
1.8 gha available per person today (not including any area for
biodiversity) The average European citizen requires gha to meet
his/her material demands.(US citizen 9.6 gha) For all people to
live like Europeans
would require 2.5 planets Human Ecological Footprint,
1950-2050
AbsoluteLimits Sustainable scenario Standard Human Ecological
Footprint, + 40% in 2008 Humankind uses an equivalent of 1.4 Earths
We no longer get along with the interest Earth provides. We use the
capital stocks. Source: Ecological Footprint of Europe WWF 2008
Human Ecological Footprint, 1950-2050
AbsoluteLimits Sustainable scenario Standard Human Ecological
Footprint, By 2050, the ecological debts would equal about 34 years
of planetary production Source: GFN Daten update 2008 Ireland tenth
A D National Footprints Figures in gha/capita China
Built land Fishing Forest Pasture Arable land Carbon Footprint A
Switzerland D Austria Slovenia China Germany Hungary World
available WWF Living Planet Report 2008 National Footprints figures
in gha/capita China 1330 Nigeria 130
Indonesia 223 India 1100 Pakistan 158 Bangladesh 142 WWF Living
Planet Report 2008 Top Down Bottom Up Product Footprints National
Footprint
Aggregated Footprint per capita Component Footprint Top Down
Regional Footprints City Footprints Individual Footprint Open NFA
again, show two places of information Why do we use top down for
populations? COMPLETENESS need to sum to the global total for all
people, bottom up not possible in practice Why do we use bottom up
for products? Nothing to scale from! Advantage: resolution finer
than top down, but will not sum to global totals Will present both
to you briefly, since both may contribute to type of Footprinting
Bioregional is interested in Bottom Up Energy Footprint Transport
Footprint Carbon Footprint Summary 1 In relation to region/Earths
capacity to provide us with energy, food, living space, assimilate
wastes, can measure whether we are using resources faster than are
being renewed gha unit: big success, many organisations, countries,
companies have adopted it as key indicator for measuring
sustainability Raising general awareness: many people believe they
understand what the EF measures Summary 2 Socio-economics not
included Toxic substances not included
One aggregated figure: not much use for prioritising policies
Awareness/behaviour divide What EF can do for us Measure resource
demand and supply.
Show us where we are using resources too quickly. Highlight which
land type is used most intensively. Provides a basis for comparing
overall resource demand amongst settlements, regions and countries.
Provides a personal account of the resource demand of an
individuals lifestyle. What EF cannot do for us
Show us why we are using resources too quickly. Help with finding
policies to reduce our consumption [other than the general policy:
we must use less]. Take account of other impacts on the environment
eg mercury pollution, ozone depletion [ie it UNDERESTIMATES our
overall impact on the Earth]. Tell us about the impact of resource
consumption on human health and wellbeing. Take this quiz to
estimate your Ecological Footprint www
Take this quiz to estimate your Ecological FootprintOR Search
words: calculate your ecological footprint