Ecological Footprints • • • http://www.earthethics.com/ecological_footprint.jpg We Depend on Nature •We exchange energy and matter with our environment as we –Eat –Drink –Breathe •We use –Energy for heat and mobility –Wood for housing and paper –Food and water for living C:\342seed.jpg We Depend on Nature •Nature –Absorbs our wastes –Provides climate stability –Protects us from ultraviolet radiation •In cities we tend to think of nature as a collection of commodities we obtain from around the world •But nature is the very source of our lives and well being • • C:\342rainforestguatamala.jpg Ecological Footprints •The amount of ecologically productive land used by individuals, cities, countries, etc. •Production and use of goods and services involve land use: have ecological footprints • C:\342suburbia.jpg Ecological Footprints •Energy Land –Fossil energy consumption requires Co2 sink C:\342brazilrainforest2.jpg Ecological Footprints •Consumed Land –Built environment C:\342chicagoskyline.jpg Ecological Footprints •Farm Land –Food production C:\342iowafarm.jpg Ecological Footprints •Forest Land –forest products • C:\342logging.gif Transportation Footprints •If one person travels 5 kilometers twice each workday: –Bicycle: 122 sq meters –Buses : 301 sq meters –Cars: 1,442 sq meters C:\342freewaytraffic.jpg Agricultural Footprints •Open Field production of tomatoes takes up more land than greenhouse production •But Greenhouse production has a much larger ecological footprint (10-20x) –Energy –Fertilizer –Other inputs – C:\342greenhouse.jpg Urban Footprints •Imagine New York City covered by a bubble like Biosphere II in Arizona •Most people would die within a few days •Cities depend on much greater amount of land, environment for vitality See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. •http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970408.html Urban Footprints •Now imagine how big that bubble would have to be for the city to be self-sustaining •This is the ecological footprint of the city •Actually 347,000 square miles –to support 20 million in U.S. lifestyle –size of Texas and Oklahoma combined. • C:\342newyorksattelite.jpg National Footprints •Holland population 15 million •Density = 4.4 People per Hectare •Consumption is less than in U.S. •Still, Dutch people require 15x more land than is within their country for –Food –Forest Products –Energy Use •Therefore, the ecosystems that support Holland lie far beyond their national borders – • C:\342amsterdam.jpg National Footprints •In U.S. each person uses about 4.5 hectares/person •Worldwide average = 1.5 hectares/person •Therefore if everybody were to adopt the U.S. consumptive style, we would need 3 planets C:\earth.JPG C:\earth.JPG C:\earth.JPG Iowa Footprint •Iowa Population is 2,776,000 •U.S. average footprint is 4.5 hectares/person •Iowans need 12.5 million hectares of average land to support themselves •Iowa area is 14.5 million hectares •Therefore we can support at least another 444,000 Americans C:\342desmoinescapitol.jpg Inequity •We all compete for ecologically overloaded world •Excess consumption by affluent countries takes up ecological footprint that would be used by poorer nations http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/agraphics/insights/geography/1general/photoessays/dalusio_menzel/m aterial_world.jpg •http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/agraphics/insights/geography/1general/photoessays/dalusio_menzel/ material_world.jpg Resource Distribution •Wealthiest 25% of the world uses 75% of the world’s resources •If four people landed on an island, could divide the land up into 4 equal sections, trade goods. •Is it fair if one of those people claims ¾ of the land, forcing the other 3 to live off of ¼ of the land? • C:\342castaway.jpg Can everyone live like we do? •No. There is not enough earth to support it •Thus all poor countries cannot follow the miracle of developed countries •Someone must bear the ecological burden of consumption by the affluent •Our continued over-consumption hits the poor hardest C:\342mex.jpg Science Objection •Footprint Analysis is a crude simplification •Interactions with nature are complex •Can’t reduce such complexity to a mater of hectares C:\342brazilfields.jpg Answer to Science •Footprint analysis may not tell whole story •Is good enough to show us what must be done •Newtonian physics good enough to get us to moon •Avoid paralysis by analysis •Footprints may actually underestimate impact of humans on environment C:\342utilitarianinterstate.jpg Marketplace Objection •Global income is rising faster than human population •Agricultural production is responding to growing demand •Environmental problems are due to poorly defined property rights or prices •If prices right, market will solve problems C:\342smokestack.gif Answer to Marketplace •Yes, when nature is undervalued, it gets used and abused •Pollution charges and depletion charges can be useful to reduce environmental damage –Require Government Intervention •Footprint analysis may help determine true costs Severe water pollution Answer to Marketplace •Not everything in nature should be privatized or priced –Stable Climate? –Safe Ozone Level? •Much of our income today derived from liquidation of our natural “capital” • http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pollution/media/pollution._top.jpg Natural Capital: Forests – – http://www.iisd.org/wcfsd/worldmap.jpg •http://www.iisd.org/wcfsd/worldmap.jpg Natural Capital: Soils Image: Global soil degradation •http://www.povertymap.net/mapsgraphics/index.cfm?data_id=23360&theme= Free Trade Objection •Trade is beneficial, has improved standard of living •Let people in different parts of the world do what they do best: Comparative Advantage –Coffee and Bananas from Developing Countries –Computers from Developed Countries •Is also more economically efficient to do what is more ecologically efficient –Makes sense for tomatoes to be grown in Mexico rather than in greenhouses in Canada • C:\342bananaplant.jpg Answer to Free Trade •Economics looks at money flow •Footprint analysis looks at Ecological flow •Hong Kong, Switzerland, Japan provide little ecological productivity to the world, draw a lot. •Not everybody can be a net importer C:\342hongkong.jpg Answer to Free Trade •Expanding economy stimulates depletion of planet’s natural resources •People who are using Footprint resources far from home have no incentive to conserve them • C:\342palmoilplantationmalasia.jpg •Indonesian Oil Palm Plantation Answer to Free Trade •Intensive production methods accelerate depletion and pollution •Economic benefits of intensive production are not equitably distributed •Those who need income displaced from land •Profits from intensive Ag go to those already well off. C:\gmosoyharvest.jpg Answer to Free Trade •Global economy is pressing ecological limits •Poverty still affects 1 billion people •We don’t need “Free Trade” •Need terms of trade that – Encourage rehabilitation of natural capital –Direct benefits of export activities to those who need them C:\342bananapanama.jpg Uncertain Future Objection •Prediction about the future are always way off •Can be sure the future will be different from what we expect • C:\342thecomingplague.gif Answer to Uncertain Future •Footprint Analysis is not a predictive tool •Is an “ecological camera” that takes a snapshot of our current demands on nature •Extrapolation into future really measures sustainability gap” C:\342USAnight.gif •USA at night from orbit South America http://www.darksky.org/images/satelite/south_america_sm.gif Europe http://www.darksky.org/images/satelite/europe_lights.gif East Asia • • http://www.pyongyangsquare.com/images/figures/nasa_earth_lights_east_asia.jpg Answer to Uncertain Future •Footprints also show material inequity •Footprints show us how much we must –reduce our consumption –improve technology –change behavior to be sustainable • C:\342malichildren.jpg Technology Fix Objection •For hundreds of years people have worried that we would run out of resources •Technological revolution has increased abundance and lowered prices of goods and services •Thus one farmer produces more than 200 farmers did 200 years ago • C:\342tractor.jpg Technology Fix Objection •Millions in N. America better off than kings and queens in past due to technology: –Live more comfortably –Are healthier –Feel more secure –Eat better http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/agraphics/insights/geography/1general/photoessays/dalusio_menzel/m aterial_world.jpg • •http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/agraphics/insights/geography/1general/photoessays/dalusio_menzel/ material_world.jpg Technology Fix Objection •Computer revolution could not be predicted •We can’t anticipate future benefits of genetic engineering •When people faced with a problem they come up with a solution –Medicine –Transportation –Communication •We can fix any problem in the future C:\342goldenricecoverTIME.gif Answer to Technology Fix •Technology will play a role in making society more sustainable •If global economy to be 10x the size of today, we need technology that makes us 10x more resource efficient •Solar water heaters, insulation reduce our footprints and maintain standard of living – • • • • solar water heater installation Answer to Technology Fix •Some technologies substitute natural capital for labor: –Intensive Agriculture •Gains in technology can encourage consumption –Efficient cars just used more frequently! –Despite efficiency gains, energy consumption has increased • http://img.thefreedictionary.com/wiki/b/bd/Prius2004.JPG •Gas-Electric Hybrid Car • Optimism Objection •Footprints are depressing •Apocalyptic visions never come true •Look on the bright side! C:\342alfredenewman.gif •What, me worry? Answer to Optimism •Acknowledging finite capacity of Nature is not pessimistic: is realistic •It allows wise decisions •Footprint assumption: we must live with global carrying capacity –Number of people the earth can sustain •If we choose wisely, may increase quality of life •Concerned that our life now is destructive •Sooner we start moving toward sustainability, easier it will be for humanity C:\earth.JPG Energy Production Objection •Energy is driving force of human enterprise •With enough energy we can do anything –Clean up environment –Irrigate Deserts –Build fast transportation networks –Power highly productive greenhouses •Soon we will have unlimited energy sources –Fusion, Fission –Tidal, Solar C:\342diablocanyonnuclearpowerplant.jpg Answer to Energy Production •Sun = 175,000 terawatts shine on earth •Fossil fuels use =10 terawatts •Imagine impact of unlimited energy supply •We’ve run down planet with just 10 terawatts •extended human activities may produce new limiting factor: Waste Assimilation •Still, moving toward solar energy would be good, would reduce our footprint • http://www.kansaswindpower.net/Sun%20latest_eit_304_full-6-24_small.gif What Should We Do? •I asked the author of this book what kind of technology research he thought the universities should be doing •Answer: Research to help us reduce our ecological footprint without reducing our standard of living: –sustainability C:\342cyclist.jpg