Lecture 8 Sustainable Development Ecological Footprint What is"Ecological Footprint serves as an analytical tool of sustainability or ecological carrying capacity of a Act as a global indicator for calculation ofour pressure on the environment, which enables comparison of consumption pattern/ behavior between countries measures human impact on nature. It shows how much biologically productive land and water is needed to produce all the resourees we consume to take in all the waste we make It seeks to balance"eco-sufficiency"with"eco-efficiency& is expressed as"unit area"(hectare) per person for a country/ region/continent/planet earth This footprint is NoT a continuous piece of land. Due to international trade the land water areas used by most"global citizen" are scattered all over the earth Biologically productive land water There are 6 main categories of biologically productive areas: l. Fossil energy land-land reserved for CO absorption 2. Arable land- nearly all of the best arable land (1.35 billion ha)is under cultivation, 10 million ha of which are abandoned annually because of serious degradation. As of to date, there exist <0. 25 ha per capita world-wide of such highly productive land 3. Pasture-most of the 3.35 billion ha of pasture(0.6 ha per person)are significantly less productive than arable land Conservation efficiencies from plant to animal reduce the available biochemical energy to humans by a factor of ten Expansion of pastures has been a main cause of shrinking forest areas 4. Forests-altogether 3 44 billion ha (0.6 ha per capita world-wide)& most of them occupy less productive land 5. Built-up areas-approximates 0.03 ha per capita world-wide, occupying the most fertile areas of the world, hence representing an irrevocable loss of prime arable land 6. Sea-covers 36.6 billion ha of the planet, or 6 ha per person. Roughly 0.5 ha out of these 6 ha harbour over 95% of the seas'biological production This marine production is already harvested to the maximum. The Ecological Benchmark per person The Ecological Benchmark per person l. Because of this, only L 7 ha per capita are available for human use. It is the ecological benchmark for comparing people's 2. The biological available space will drop to I haper capita once the world population reaches 10 billion. If current growth trends persist, this will happen in about 30 years The bioproductive space for every person in the world varies with nations time. Through the industrial economy, human being has become the dominant consumer in most of the Earths ecosystems 40% of the net terrestrial photosynthesis (Vitousek et aL. 1986) 25-35% of coastal shelf primary production(Pauly Christensen 1995) -In particular the so-called"Advanced "countries are running massive unaccounted ecological deficits with the rest of the planet. Since not all countries can be net importers of carrying capacit, the material standards of the wealthy cannot be extended sustainably to even the present world population using prevailing technology Today, humanity as a whole uses over one third more resourees eco-services than what nature can regenerate. In 1992, his ecological deficit was only one quarter People's Dependence on Nature l. Provide basic requirements for life(energy, food, water air ete.) Green plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients water into plant matter, and all the food chains which support nimal life are based on this plant matter. People's Dependence on Nature 2. Absorbs waste products provides life-support services(climate stability protection from UV radiation) 3. A source of joy satisfaction Man's overuse of Nature1 Lecture 8 Sustainable Development & Ecological Footprint What is “Ecological Footprint”? • Ecological Footprint – serves as an analytical tool of sustainability or ecological carrying capacity of an area • Act as a global indicator for calculation of our pressure on the environment, which enables comparison of consumption pattern/ behavior between countries Definition • Ecological Footprint – measures human impact on nature.. It shows how much biologically productive land and water is needed to produce all the resources we consume & to take in all the waste we make • It seeksto balance “eco-sufficiency” with “eco-efficiency” & is expressed as “unit area” (hectare) per person for a country/ region/continent/planet earth • This footprint is NOT a continuous piece of land.. Due to international trade, the land & water areas used by most “global citizen” are scattered all over the Earth Biologically productive land & water • There are 6 main categories of biologically productive areas:: 1.. Fossil energy land - land reserved for CO2 absorption 2.. Arable land - nearly all of the best arable land (1..35 billion ha) is under cultivation, 10 million ha of which are abandoned annually because of serious degradation.. As of to date, there exist <0..25 ha per capita world-wide of such highly productive land 3.. Pasture - most of the 3..35 billion ha of pasture (0..6 ha per person) are significantly less productive than arable land.. Conservation efficiencies from plant to animal reduce the available biochemical energy to humans by a factor of ten.. Expansion of pastures has been a main cause of shrinking forest areas 4.. Forests - altogether 3..44 billion ha (0..6 ha per capita world-wide) & most of them occupy less productive land 5.. Built-up areas - approximates 0..03 ha per capita world-wide, occupying the most fertile areas of the world, hence representing an irrevocable loss of prime arable land 6.. Sea - covers 36..6 billion ha of the planet, or 6 ha per person.. Roughly 0..5 ha out of these 6 ha harbour over 95% of the seas’ biological production.. This marine production is already harvested to the maximum.. The Ecological Benchmark per person The Ecological Benchmark per person 1.. Because of this, only 1..7 ha per capita are available for human use.. It is the ecological benchmark for comparing people’s footprints.. 2.. The biological available space will drop to 1 ha per capita once the world population reaches 10 billion.. If current growth trends persist, this will happen in about 30 years Current Situation • The bioproductive space for every person in the world varies with nations & time.. • Through the industrial economy, human being has become the dominant consumer in most of the Earth’s ecosystems:: – 40% of the net terrestrial photosynthesis(Vitousek et al.. 1986) – 25-35% of coastal shelf primary production (Pauly & Christensen 1995) – In particular the so-called “Advanced” countries are running massive unaccounted ecological deficits with the rest of the planet.. Since not all countries can be net importers of carrying capacity, the material standards of the wealthy cannot be extended sustainably to even the present world population using prevailing technology – Today, humanity as a whole uses over one third more resources & eco-services than what nature can regenerate.. In 1992, this ecological deficit was only one quarter People’s Dependence on Nature 1.. Provide basic requirements for life (energy, food, water & air etc..) – Green plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients & water into plant matter, and all the food chains which support animal life are based on this plant matter.. People’s Dependence on Nature 2.. Absorbs waste products & provides life-support services (climate stability & protection from UV radiation) 3.. A source of joy & satisfaction Man’s overuse of Nature 1.. Loss of forests