GY121 - The Ecological Footprint
How is comparing EF to to the PAT of IPAT useful?
-carbon footprint increase either by increased population, consumption or technology
How does the EF use biocapacity?
-compares biocapacity with what it can offer in terms of natural services/resources -if footprint is higher than the biocapacity of the land there is an ecological deficit - unsustainable
What are the benefits of the EF?
-countries measure national emissions from domestic products BUT carbon leakage as pollution exported elsewhere - takes into account accountability -overcome issue of valuation -accessible to policy makers -looks at consumption -same benefit as SS -looked at at any scale
What are the 5 types of biocapacity and the 6 products of these types?
-cropland, grazing land, fishing grounds, forests, built up areas - 6 products as forests provide timber and co2 absorption
What are the limitations of the Water Footprint?
-doesn't assess risks of nuclear energy e.g. no co2 emissions but nuclear accident damage global biocapacity -i.e. doesn't take into account ecological footprint
How do you calculate the GHA?
-estimate the demand by tracking use/waste -impact of bioproductivity estimated -aggregate factors: natures supply + human demand compared by GHA units
What is the Ecological Footprint and what does it measure? (Wackernagel and Rees 1994)
-measures strong sustainability -calculates the number of planets needed to sustain a certain population/individual's needs given the technology and lifestyle
What are the issues of measuring WS?
-misses future 'shocks' of environmental damage, unforeseeable environmental threshold -computation issues where there may not be much available data, difficulties in valuing nature -consumer biased
What are the limitations of EF?
-only seeks to measure human impact - policy requires more e.g. motivation -no evaluation of policy (although could do this itself) -neo-malthusian -static - doesn't look at future -aggregate indicator - lose detail -doesn't include Virtual Water
Is Virtual Water a big issue?
-same amount of water in the planet just moves around BUT water moved from drought prone areas (esp. developing countries) doesn't go back into local water system
What is a GHA?
-the global hectare -hectare adjusted for the respective biocapacity -natural rate of regeneration for each of the 5 types of biocapacity -standardized, bioproductivity of average hectare weighted on importance of biodiversity =represents natural resources/services offered by world average bioproductive area
How is WS measured?
-total stock of wealth the same, genuine savings -Genuine savings is a one-sided indicator therefore negative values mean unsustainable practices
What is a Water Footprint?
-virtual water issue of trading around the world -based on consumption and international trade