The ecological footprint helps describe how much nature people use to support their lives and economies. It matters because human demand can exceed the capacity of ecosystems to renew resources and absorb waste.
An ecological footprint is an accounting measure of human demand on nature. It estimates the biologically productive area needed to provide the resources people consume and absorb some of the waste their activities generate. It can be calculated for a person, product, community, city, nation, or humanity as a whole.
All flashcards
Ecological footprint
An accounting measure estimating the biologically productive area needed to support a specified level of human consumption and activity.
Biocapacity
The ability of biologically productive land and water to regenerate resources and absorb waste.
Global hectare (gha)
A standardized hectare with world-average biological productivity, used to compare footprints and biocapacity.
Ecological overshoot
A condition in which human demand exceeds ecosystems’ capacity to renew resources and absorb waste.
Life-cycle analysis
An approach that accounts for resources and processes associated with a product or activity.
Quiz questions
What does an ecological footprint estimate?Answer: The productive area needed to support human consumption and activity.
What does biocapacity describe?Answer: Ecosystems’ capacity to regenerate resources and absorb waste.
What does Earth Overshoot Day mark?Answer: The date humanity has used the nature Earth can regenerate that year.
How is a total national ecological footprint calculated from a per-capita footprint?Answer: Multiply the per-capita footprint by the total population.
How can carbon be represented in ecological footprint accounting?Answer: As an area within the total ecological footprint.