What Is the Ecological Footprint?
Humans, who have basic needs like eating, shelter, and heating, rely on the planet to meet these needs. But how much does humanity consume? The answer to this question is known as the “Ecological Footprint.”
The ecological footprint is a method developed to calculate the balance of ecosystems disturbed by human activities and to determine the amount that needs to be restored to the ecosystem.
In other words, it calculates the “number of worlds” required for a sustainable future in response to the resources humans demand from nature and their disturbance of the natural balance.
How Is the Ecological Footprint Calculated?
Fundamentally, the ecological footprint aims to calculate the resources demanded by a specific population from nature and the natural area needed in the future. The reasons for these calculations are:
To find the size of the productive biological area consumed and damaged at the planetary level,
The productive terrestrial and aquatic areas required for the disposal of wastes,
The biological capacity used by a specific population,
And the number of planets needed for the continuity of life.
The formula for national-scale calculation is as follows:
Ecological Footprint (ha*) = Consumption x Production Area x Population
*Ha: Hectare = 10,000 m²
Looking at the variables in the formula:
Consumption represents the extent of goods usage.
For example, the weight of consumed meat in kilograms, the volume of consumed water in liters, the energy value of used electricity in joules, the weight of consumed timber in tons, etc. A separate calculation is made for all these groups.
The production area is the productive biological area required to meet a certain amount of sustainable consumption. Five different productive biological areas have been identified in the world:
Agricultural lands
Pastures
Forests
Seas
Built-up areas
Population refers to the number of people consuming natural resources within a particular area. Calculations can be made at any scale, from a single individual affecting an activity to a community, city, region, nation, or all of humanity.
According to the “Living Planet Report” published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2010, the per capita ecological footprint was 2.7 gha while the biological capacity was 1.8 gha. Therefore, even by this calculation alone, we can understand that the world’s resources would be sufficient only if consumption were reduced by 0.33 based on the average level of human activities in 2010.
According to a report published by the Global Footprint Network in 2014, humanity’s total ecological footprint was equivalent to 1.7 Earths. Humanity’s consumption was 1.7 times faster than nature’s regenerating ability.
Examples of Ecological Footprints
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
Consider a jar of cherry jam. The production, processing, and storage of cherries and other raw materials used in making the cherry jam require space for the producing company. The supermarkets where these jams are sold also occupy space. Additionally, certain areas are needed to dispose of waste materials released during the production and distribution of cherry jam. The total of all these areas included in the calculation is called the ecological footprint left by a jar of jam on the world.
What Is the Difference Between Ecological Footprint and Carbon Footprint?
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) divides the ecological footprint into the following components:
Carbon footprint
Cropland footprint
Forest footprint
Built-up area footprint
Fishing ground footprint
Grazing land footprint
Looking at these components, we see that the carbon footprint has a more significant impact than all the other components. Accounting for 60% of all damage, the carbon footprint also emerges as the fastest-growing element. The carbon footprint is defined as the scale that shows the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by every individual through purchased products, heating, electricity consumption, or vehicles used for transportation.
What Can Be Done to Reduce the Ecological Footprint?
The biggest culprit responsible for the ecological footprint is the carbon footprint, which arises from burning fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources that reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve our consumption/production habits are the biggest supporters of decarbonization. Accessible and good-quality water is an indispensable element that must be preserved for health and productivity.
It is essential to use natural resources in a balanced manner. We need to use agricultural lands, pastures, forests, wetlands, and seas designated as production areas, knowing that they are limited. Population growth is a factor that directly affects the ecological footprint. A city, region, country, or the world can accommodate a certain number of people. The current surpassing of this limit poses a significant threat for future years.
Renewability of natural resources, waste reduction, increased efficiency of production activities, and widespread adoption of recycling policies to reduce carbon emissions while sourcing raw materials and reducing the resources demanded by production are crucial steps.
Local governments must prioritize ecological values in urban planning, protect habitats where animals, plants, and beneficial organisms live, and follow policies such as using bioenergy, recycling efforts, and promoting public transportation. From individuals to families, from cities to societies, ecological awareness should be one of the fundamental values that spread from countries to the world.
