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The ecological footprint is the measure of humanity's demand on nature's resources.

It is effectively a resource accounting tool used as a means of management and

communication. The ecological footprint tool is used widely by educationalinstitutions, governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations to answer

specific resource questions. It differs from the carbon footprint in that it measures

total impact on the planet's resources, not simply the amount of greenhouse gases

produced by a person, a nation or an industry

Define Ecological Footprint

The ecological footprint helps

scientists and businesses calculate

the ecological impact of their

consumption needs. Countries like

the US, Japan and the UK use more

global resources than their individual

lands can provide. These nations are

said to have an ecological deficit. On

the other hand, countries likeMongolia, Gabon and Australia are

in ecological reserve

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How to Calculate and Compare Ecological Footprints

The higher the ecological footprint, the more natural resources that are

consumed.An ecological footprint measures the impact of an individual on the environment,

based on the amount of resources she consumes and the waste she produces. The

factors determining the ecological footprint of an individual or a population are

based on the amount of land required for crops, animal grazing, fishing, housing

and transportation, as well as carbon dioxide emissions. If usage is too high,

resources will be consumed too rapidly. Knowing your ecological footprint can helpyou learn how to conserve more and help protect ecosystems

The concept of the ecological footprint can be used for individuals, communities,

countries and other population groupings. The net consumption of the population

in question is calculated; import is included and export is subtracted.

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History

The term "ecological footprint" was conceived in

1990 by William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel at the

University of British Columbia. Now, the ecologicalfootprint is used by businesses and scientists to

measure and monitor ecological reserves.

Unit of Measure

The unit of measure commonly used to express an

ecological footprint is the global hectare. One global

hectare is equal to approximately two and a halfacres

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What Ecological Footprint Measures

The ecological footprint measures the amount of land andsea area an individual, region, humanity as a whole or

specific human activity requires to regenerate the

resources they consume and to absorb the wastes it

creates using today's technology practices. It then

compares this with the land and sea area available to

calculate the ecological footprint, which can then be usedto determine resource sustainability.

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In the face of dwindling natural resources and a growing world population,

scientists review environmental impact by breaking down an ecological footprint

into different components. An individual's ecological footprint is equal to the

amount of land required to fulfill that person's resource needs, including waste

disposal. Ecological footprint components include food, wood products, housing

and transportation as major factors

Ecological Footprint Components

Identification

The ecological footprint represents the

amount of land and ocean required

per year by a population for its

resources, that will allow those

resources to be renewed, and that can

also absorb the waste generated

The cost of mobility contributes

significantly to each individual's

ecological footprint.

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How to Calculate and Compare Ecological Footprints

The higher the ecological footprint, the more natural resources that are consumed.

An ecological footprint measures the impact of an individual on the environment, based

on the amount of resources she consumes and the waste she produces. The factors

determining the ecological footprint of an individual or a population are based on the

amount of land required for crops, animal grazing, fishing, housing and transportation,

as well as carbon dioxide emissions. If usage is too high, resources will be consumed too

rapidly. Knowing your ecological footprint can help you learn how to conserve more and

help protect ecosystemHow Ecological Footprint Is Calculated

Ecological footprints can be calculated for individuals, a nation or a specific activity. The

ecological footprint of an individual is calculated by dividing the amount of biological

material consumed by that person by the yield of the specific land or sea area of which

it was produced, or where its waste material was absorbed. This amount is then

converted into global hectares and is that person's ecological footprint. The ecologicalfootprint of a nation is the sum of the ecological footprint of all residents within that

nation. For a specific activity, it is calculated simply by summing all material consumed

and waste generated during the specific activity.

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The Ecological Footprint and Biodiversity

The threats facing the rich array of plant and animal life on the planet

seem greater than at any time in modern history. Problems such asclimate change, water shortages, overharvesting and habitat

disruptionsymptoms of human pressure on the planets finite

resourcesare driving down wildlife populations worldwide.

In 2002, under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD)the leaders of the worlds governments committed to

significantly halting the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. They adopteda suite of indicators, brought together as the Biodiversity Indicators

Partnership (BIP), to provide information on biodiversity trends and

assess progress toward their target. Global Footprint Network is a BIP

Key Indicator Partner, and the Ecological Footprinthas been officially

adopted by the CBD to be included among its biodiversity indicators.

http://www.cbd.int/http://www.cbd.int/http://www.twentyten.net/http://www.twentyten.net/http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_basics_overview/http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_basics_overview/http://www.twentyten.net/http://www.twentyten.net/http://www.cbd.int/http://www.cbd.int/

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What can the Footprint tell us about biodiversity?

While not a direct measure of species populations, the Ecological

Footprint provides an indicator of the pressure on ecosystems and

biodiversity by measuring the competing level of ecological demand that

humans place upon the biosphere.

Global Ecological Footprint data show that humanity is using resources

and producing CO2 emissions at a rate 44 percent greater than what

nature can regenerate and reabsorb. This gap, known as ecological

overshoot, results in the depletion of the natural capital that all species

(including our own) depend on for their livelihood. It also results in theaccumulation of carbon dioxide that leads to climate change, with

profound implications for ecosystems and the species they support as well

as for our societies well being and economic stability.

Humanitys Ecological Footprint has grown 80 percent over the last four

decades. The greater the gap between human demand and natures

regenerative capacity, the more pressure there will be on the resourcesother species need to survive, and the more perilously biodiversity will be

under threat.

Looking at the various consumption sectors that go into the Ecological

Footprint can provide us with a glimpse of the human activities that are

drivers of biodiversity loss.

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What is overshoot?

Overshoot, which in this context is shorthand for ecological

overshoot, occurs when a populations demand on an ecosystem

exceeds the capacity of that ecosystem to regenerate the resources itconsumes and to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions.

The Ecological Footprint is often used to calculate global ecological

overshoot, which occurs when humanitys demand on the biosphere

exceeds the available biological capacity of the planet. By definition,

overshoot leads to a depletion of the planets life

supporting biological capitaland/or to an accumulation of carbondioxide emissions.

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=glossaryhttp://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=glossary

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What Is a Global Hectare?

A global hectare is a common unit that allows

different types of land to be compared by means of acommon denominator. Physical hectares of different

types of land, which have different productivity, such

as pastures and cropland, can be converted into the

standardized unit of global hectares using equivalence

factors to measure biological capacity. Non-productive

land, such as deserts, is not included in thecalculation.

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Ecological Footprint: Simplistic or Not?

The ecological footprint attempts to answer the specific question

of how much of the earth's resources we use in comparison to

how much capacity is available. Due to the complexity of themany various ecological systems in the world, as with any data

set, it can not provide answers for everything. However, using

the ecological footprint in correlation with other complementary

indicators can provide a more comprehensive picture of the state

of the planet and other important aspects of sustainability.

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How to Find Your Ecological Footprint

Calculate your ecological footprint to diminish your impact on

Earth's environment.

In order to calculate your ecological, or carbon, footprint, youwill want to visit one of the many footprint calculator analysis

websites available online. For the purpose of this

demonstration, we will use the footprint calculator located at

"Footprint Network." These resources will help you discover the

biggest areas of resource consumption and give tips to reduce

your ecological footprint

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Why Is it Important to Know About Your Ecological Footprint?

A person's ecological footprint is an estimation of the amount of land

required to sustain a person based on their current lifestyle. This is themetric that estimated that if everyone lived and consumed similar to

the average American, five planets would be required to sustain them

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How to Reduce My Ecological Footprint

An ecological footprint measures how much land andwater is required to sustain an individual or population.

An ecological footprint is a method for estimating how

quickly an individual or a population uses resources and

produces waste. The human population currently has a

footprint that is too large for the Earth to sustain.

According to the Global Footprint Network, it takes theEarth a year and five months to regenerate what humans

use in one year. Many people are beginning to recognize

our excessive demand on the planet, and a movement has

begun to reduce our ecological footprint

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The Ecological Footprint of Schools

Every school has its own ecological footprint.

An ecological footprint is a measure of how an organization and its activities

impact the environment.In other words, it is possible to measure how much water, electricity and other

resources the organization uses. An ecological footprint can also be calculated

for schools.

Thi i h t h l d

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This is what schools can do

Gathering of Data

Gather the data of how much resources your school uses.

The most important resources are energy resources-natural gas and electricity--and

water.

Other resources school may consume include paper, food (in the cafeteria) and

transportation to and from school.The data should be gathered based on a one-year horizon to account for variations in

the consumption of resources during winter, spring, summer and fall.

Comparison

School districts can compile this data, then rating the schools on their ecological

footprints in order to reward the leaders and name and shame the laggards.

Reducing Ecological Footprint

First and foremost schools need to cut energy consumption, as it account's for a lion's

share of the resources schools consume.

To cut the consumption of energy, schools can make their transportation more efficient

by replacing gas-guzzlers with more gasoline-efficient vehicles.

Switching the lights off in empty classrooms can also help.

Offsetting the Ecological Footprint

In addition to cutting the amount of resources your school consumes, the school canalso offset its ecological footprint.

The offsetting measures include planting trees and cleaning the garbage in the nearby

parks. The school can also gather donations for charity organizations that help the

environment, such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund.

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Uses

Results from ecological footprint analyses can indicate how wasteful or

efficient a person or population is, relative to others. Additionally, the results

can help identify areas where one can make different lifestyle decisions tominimize their footprint and lessen their burden on the planet.

Significance

Because it is dependent on factors like lifestyle, income and technological

levels, the ecological footprint reveals the consumption patterns of a

particular population

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Limitations

The ecological footprint is perhaps the

best current measure of humanity's impact

on the environment, but it has a number

of limitations. The ecological footprint only

focuses on renewable resources, and it

only partially addresses the use of fossil

fuels.

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Ecological Footprint Facts

An ecological footprint is a measurement of human

impact on the environment. It calculates the

amount of land and water required to maintain a

particular population.Origin

William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel coined

the term at the University of British Columbia

in 1992. They co-published a book on the

topic in 1996 titled "Our Ecological Footprint:

Reducing Human Impact on the Earth.".

Types

An ecological footprint can refer to the environmental impact of an individual, a

city, a region, a nation or the entire world.

Features

The sorts of calculations that compose an ecological footprint include how much

land is dedicated to waste disposal, the amount of land and water employed in

agriculture and how the type and quantity of energy used affects land and water

supplies.

Example

According to the Global Footprint Network, the ecological footprint of the United

States is 94 hectares per capita (or 23.3 acres per person).

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PRESENTED BY

MUKESH KUMAR CHOWDHARY

G P TEJA

MANOJ BHAGAT SHARMA

SUGANYA