An Ecological Footprint is a measurement of humanity's demand on the Earth's resources. According to the Global Footprint Network, this can be determined by measuring the amount of land and water area a human population or activity uses to produce a resource and then absorb the waste from production. The concept of an Ecological Footprint was developed in 1990 at the University of British Columbia, and has been used ever since to determine what sort of impact people are having on the environment and how to reduce it.
Ecological Footprint Users
According to the Sustainable Scale Project, the uses for an Ecological Footprint are widespread and varying; it can be calculated for an individual, a city, a business, a country or even all of humanity. It can also be determined for an activity. Many businesses and governments use Ecological Footprint calculations to determine the best course for policies and planning, and use the information to set more sustainable development agendas. Cities also use the calculation to determine what types of transportation will have the least impact and cost. Farmers use Ecological Footprints to determine the most cost-effective methods of farming. Individuals can even calculate their own Ecological Footprint to determine different ways to reduce it.
Uses for Ecological Footprint
An Ecological Footprint is used to determine the amount and rate of resources being consumed compared to the rate at which they're being replenished. According to the Global Footprint Network, this helps determine whether the Earth is in a state of "overshoot"; a situation when human demands exceed the Earth's ability to regenerate resources. The environment has been in this state since the late 1970s. According to the Global Footprint Network, it currently takes the Earth one year and five months to replenish what people use in one year. Overshoot can lead to a depletion of natural resources or an accumulation of waste.
Ecological Footprint Standards
Because of the growing use of Ecological Footprint calculations, a set of standards for accurately determining them was developed in 2006, and then updated in 2009. It's necessary to have a confirmed set of standards to ensure accuracy and transparency. Without a set of standards for calculating Ecological Footprints, it would be impossible to maintain consistency or compare assessments.
Calculating an Ecological Footprint
An Ecological Footprint is measured in units of global hectares, which the Global Footprint Network describes as the average productivity of all biologically productive land and sea. According to the Sustainable Scale Project, one hectare is equal to 2.47 acres of biologically productive space. You can calculate it by dividing the materials consumed in tonnes per year, by the yield of the specific land or sea area where the materials come from, in annual tonnes per hectare. A variety of online calculators are available that can easily determine your Ecological Footprint.
Limitations
According to the Sustainable Scale Project, the Ecological Footprint generally underestimates the impact of human activities on the planet. It also only focuses on renewable resources, so there is no estimate of how humans are impacting non-renewable resources. Another drawback is the unit of measurement; because global hectares use a worldwide average, they aren't very good for measuring specific locations and ecosystems.
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