What are ecological footprints?

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What are ecological footprints?

• Ecological footprints measure the extent to which
  humans are using the Earths bioproductive
  capacity
• Units are global hectares
• A hectare of land with average bio-productive
  capacity (for agriculture, forest, nutrient
  cycling, energy production, etc.)
• A hectare 2.5 acres(1 acre is about a football
  field between the 5 yard lines)(1 hectare is 2
  complete football fields with endzones)

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Ecological Footprint
From Living Planet Report 2008, World Wildlife
Fund, 2008.
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Ecological footprints measure Earths carrying
capacity for humans

• In 2010, the biosphere had about 11.5 billion
  hectares of biologically productive surface
  (about 1/4 of the total planet)
• 2 billion ha of ocean (the continental shelves)
• 9.5 billion ha of land
• Current estimates indicate that humans are
  over-shooting the Earths carrying capacity by
  25-50
• To sustain the current carrying capacity, we
  could need 11/2 Earths!
• But, population growth and increasing development
  means that we are increasing our use of Earths
  carrying-capacity (bio-capacity)

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From Living Planet Report 2008, World Wildlife
Fund, 2008.
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With respect to sustainability of the human
endeavor, population growth rate and population
size are only part of the picture per capita
consumption is the other
Developed countries have very large ecological
footprints
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Ecological Footprints (Hectares per person)
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Ecological Footprint by Region
From Living Planet Report 2008, World Wildlife
Fund, 2008.
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United States Ecological Footprint By Component
Biocapacity varies somewhat over time because of
technology, agricultural practices (such as
fertilizer use and irrigation), ecosystem
degradation
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Mexicos Footprint by Component
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Mexico

• Mexico has moved from using only 1/3 of its
  biocapacity in 1961 to nearly 1 ½ times its own
  biocapacity in 2002

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Calculate your own ecological footprint(Can you
realistically reduce your footprint to 1 planet?)
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So, where do we stand?

• There are 11.5 billion hectares of bio-productive
  land, and it is declining
• There are about 7 billion people, and increasing
  at about 1 per year
• There are currently 1 2/3 hectares per person,
  and most ecologists believe this is insufficient
  to support a significant quality of life for the
  average person on Earth
• If we continue down the path we are on, there
  will be less than 1 hectare per person by 2050

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Sustainability ?
From Living Planet Report 2008, World Wildlife
Fund, 2008.
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Envisioning Solutions

• Former president Bill Clinton has argued that
  combating climate change doesnt have to mean
  economic hardship (Clinton Initiative Topic)
• It could be the biggest development stimulus
  since World War II, creating millions of jobs and
  saving trillions of dollars in foreign fuel
  imports
• What are some of the strategies we have available?

9-20
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Controlling Emissions is Cheap Compared to
Climate Change

• A 2010 study by the Pew Trust estimates the cost
  of lost ecological services by 2100
• Costs included factors such as lost agricultural
  productivity from drought, damage to
  infrastructure from flooding and storms, lost
  biological productivity, health costs from heat
  stress, and lost water supplies
• The Pew report found that climate change is
  likely to cost between 5 trillion and 90
  trillion by 2100
• The Stern Review (2006) estimates a cost of only
  about 1 of global GDP to avoid the worst impacts
  of climate change

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There Are Many Ways We Can Control Greenhouse
Emissions

• We can reduce dependence on coal, which produces
  more CO2 per energy unit than any other fuel
• We could institute fees for selling fossil
  fuelsthese would help fossil fuel prices
  represent their many hidden costs
• We can invest in new technologies and energy
  efficiency
• We can institute emissions trading, by
  instituting a legal cap on emissions, then
  allowing companies to buy and sell shares of that
  total cap (Californias AB-32 does this)

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A Wedge Approach Involves Dissecting the Problem
into Stepwise Solutions

• To avoid a doubling of atmospheric CO2 we need to
  reduce our annual carbon emissions by about 7
  billion tons (7 gigatons or GT) by 2060
• Scientists have divided these emissions into 14
  wedges, each of which represents 1 GT of carbon
  emissions avoided in the year 2060

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Local Initiatives Are Effective

• California has greatly reduced Carbon emisions by
  switching all coal burning power plants to
  natural gas (decreased CO2 by 30) switching to
  green energy production
• New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark pledged
  that her country will be the first to be carbon
  neutral
• Germany has reduced its CO2 emissions at least 10
  percent by switching from coal to gas and by
  encouraging energy efficiency throughout society
• Denmark now gets 20 of its electricity from
  windmills

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California A long history of investing in clean
power and energy efficiency
1974
2008
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California is a model for efficiency
Per Capita Electricity Sales (not including
self-generation)
?(2005) 4,000kWh/yr 400/capita
United States
kWh/person
California
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Energy Efficiency Strategies

• Flattening out the curve yesterday
• Decouple sales from revenues eliminate
  disincentive
• Set and strengthen building and appliance
  standards
• Invest in utility energy efficiency programs
• Bending the curve downward tomorrow
• Strengthen incentives Decoupling Plus
• Set long term goals to achieve durable,
  broad-based reductions
• Enhance strategic planning work backwards from
  goals
• Improve branding, messaging and marketing
• Invest in workforce and research and development

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Wedge Analysis

• Accomplishing just half of these wedges could
  level off our emissions. Accomplishing all of
  them could return to levels well below those
  envisioned in the Kyoto protocol

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McKinsey, December 2007U.S. GHG Abatement
Mapping Initiative
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22 States Committed to Regional Carbon Markets
(w/ an additional 8 observing)
Source Pew Center
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Products and the Environment

• At first glance, the relationship between
  products our environment may seem clear,BUT.

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Lets consider the simple French fry

• What are its connects to the environment?
• What impact does it have?

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How did the fry get to the restaurant?
http//www.rprogress.org/
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What impact did its journey have?
http//www.rprogress.org/
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What impact did these impacts have?
http//www.rprogress.org/
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How might all of this affect the Earths systems?
http//www.rprogress.org/
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Weve considered only the potato

• Consider all the other parts of your meal
• the other foods
• the utensils
• the napkins
• the condiments
• the drinks
• There are multiple environmental impacts involved
  in these as well

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