Bio112-EcologicalFootprint

8/10/2019 Bio112-EcologicalFootprint

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What are ecological footprints?

• Ecological footprints measure the extent towhich humans are using the Earth

sbioproductive capacity

• Units are global hectares

– A hectare of land with average bio-productivecapacity (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)



Ecological Footprint

From Living Planet Report 2008, World Wildlife Fund, 2008.



Ecological footprints measure Earth

scarrying capacity for humans

• In 2010, the biosphere had about 11.5 billion hectaresof biologically productive surface (about 1/4 of thetotal planet)

– 2 billion ha of ocean (the continental shelves) – 9.5 billion ha of land

• Current estimates indicate that humans are over-shooting the Earth s carrying capacity by 25-50%

– To sustain the current carrying capacity, we could need11 /2 Earths!

– But, population growth and increasing developmentmeans that we are inc reasing our use of Earth’s

carrying-capacity (bio-capacity)








With respect to sustainability of the human endeavor,population growth rate and population size are onlypart of the picture: per capita consumption is the other

Developed countrieshave very largeecological footprints



Ecological Footprints (Hectares per person)



Ecological Footprint by Region










United States Ecological Footprint ByComponent

Biocapacity varies somewhat over time because oftechnology, agricultural practices (such as fertilizer use

and irrigation), ecosystem degradation



Mexico

s Footprint by Component



Mexico

• Mexico has moved from using only 1/3 of its biocapacity

in 1961 to nearly 1 ½ times its own biocapacity in 2002



Calculate your own ecological footprint(Can you realistically reduce your footprint to 1 planet?)



So, where do we stand?

• There are 11.5 billion hectares of bio-productiveland, 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, andmost ecologists believe this is insufficient to supporta significant quality of life for the average person on

Earth

• If we continue down the path we are on, there will beless than 1 hectare per person by 2050





Sustainability ?




Envisioning Solutions

• Former president Bill Clinton has argued that

combating climate change doesn’t 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



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 fromflooding 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



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 fuels – these wouldhelp 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 legalcap on emissions, then allowing companies to buy and

sell shares of that total cap (California

s AB-32 does

this)



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



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 10percent by switching from coal to gas and by

encouraging energy efficiency throughout society

• Denmark now gets 20% of its electricity from windmills



California: A long history of investing inclean power and energy efficiency

1974 2008



California is a model for efficiency

∆(2005)

= 4,000kWh/yr

= $400/capita

k W h / p e r s o n

United States

California

Per Capita Electricity Sales (not including self-generation)



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



• 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

Wedge Analysis

McKinse December 2007



McKinsey, December 2007U.S. GHG Abatement Mapping Initiative

22 S C C



22 States Committed to Regional CarbonMarkets (w/ an additional 8 observing

”

)

Source:

Pew Center



Products and the Environment

• At first glance,the relationshipbetween products& our environment

may seem clear,

BUT….



Let

s consider the simple French fry

• What are itsconnects to the

environment?

• What impact does ithave?



How did the fry get to the restaurant?

Producer

Distribution Center

Processing Plant

Suppliers

Bob’s Burger Shop

Truck

Truck

Truck

Truck

http://www.rprogress.org/



What impact did its journey have?

Producer

Distribution Center

Processing Plant

Suppliers

Bob’s Burger Shop

Truck

Truck

Truck

Truck

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Freezer

Fertilizers

Pesticides

Machinery

Hydropower

Fossil Fuels

Machinery

Fossil Fuels

Packaging

Hydroflourocarbons

Irrigation

Hydropower

Freezer

Food waste

Machinery

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Hydroelectric dam

Fossil Fuels

Animal Feed

Irrigation

Seeds




What impact did these impacts have?

Runoff

Air

Pollution

Solid

Waste

Air

Pollution Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Freezer

Fertilizers

Pesticides

Truck

Truck

Machinery

Hydropower

Truck

Fossil Fuels

Machinery

Fossil Fuels

Damage

To Ozone

Packaging

Hydroflourocarbons

Irrigation

Hydropower

Freezer

Food waste

Machinery Producer

Distribution Center

Processing Plant

Suppliers

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Truck

Hydroelectric dam

Loss of

Biodiversity

Fossil Fuels

Animal Feed

Loss of

BiodiversityIrrigation

Seeds

Fossil Fuels

Bob’s Burger Shop

Air

Pollution


How might all of this affect the



How might all of this affect theEarth

s systems?

Runoff

Air

Pollution

Solid

Waste

Air

Pollution Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Freezer

Fertilizers

Pesticides

Truck

Truck

Machinery

Hydropower

Truck

Fossil Fuels

Machinery

Fossil Fuels

Damage

To Ozone

Packaging

Hydroflourocarbons

Forests

Irrigation

Forests Built-up Land

Grazing Land

Forests

River

Cropland

Hydropower

Freezer

Food waste

Machinery Producer

Distribution Center

Processing Plant

Suppliers

Bob’s Burger Shop

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Truck

Hydroelectric dam

Loss ofBiodiversity

Fossil Fuels

Built-up Land

Animal Feed

Loss of

BiodiversityIrrigation

Seeds

Air

Pollution

Forests




We’ve considered only the potato

• Consider all the otherparts of your meal

– the other foods

– the utensils

– the napkins

– the condiments

– the drinks… • There are multiple

environmental impactsinvolved in these as well















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Bio112-EcologicalFootprint