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Section B
Equity and Global Ecological Footprints

Equity: Sharing the Worlds Resources

n

Global population: 7 billion as of October 2011

- Nearly 2 billion overweight or obese
- Almost 1 billion are undernourished

75% of the global population live in countries where resource

extraction and depletion has exceeded resource capital

Consumption of earths resources exceeds earths capacity and

ability to regenerate by 30%

Resource extraction will increase in newly emerging economies

-
n

Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, China, India, South Africa

Over the last half century, humans have polluted or overexploited two-thirds of the earths ecological systems on which
life depends (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report)
3

Resources Important for Food Production

n

Water quality and quantity

Soil quality and quantity

Biodiversitywild and domesticated

Water Scarcity

Areas of Physical and Economic Water Scarcity

Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Water PollutionChemical

Source: UNEP vital waste graphics. (2004).

Water PollutionExcess Fertilizer

n

Location of dead zones

Source: Mongabay.com. Retrieved from http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0722-hance_deadzones_nasa.html

Soil Degradation

Iowa Loses Topsoil at an Unsustainable Rate

Reprinted with permission. Source: Environmental Working Group. (2010). Losing ground. Retrieved from:
http://www.ewg.org/losingground/index.html

Iowa Loses Topsoil at an Unsustainable Rate

Source: Environmental Working Group. (2010). Losing ground. Retrieved from:

http://www.ewg.org/losingground/index.html

10

Human Impacts on Biodiversity

1700

2000

2050

11

Inequitable Resource Use and Development

n

Industrialized countries, with 15% of the population, used 50% of the

fossil energy, industrial minerals, and metallic ores as of 2005

Between 1990 and 2006, total energy use in developing countries

increased by 40% while in high-income OECD countries it increased
by half as much

Sources: UNEP vital waste graphics. (2004); UN trends in sustainable development. (2010).

12

Ecological Footprints
Ecological Footprint Network estimates that three planets would be
needed now if every citizen were to adopt the UK lifestyle, and five
planets if they were to adopt the average North American lifestyle

Number of Earths

Source: Global Footprint Network. Retrieved from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/

13

Biocapacity
n

Biological capacity or biocapacity: the capacity of ecosystems to

produce useful biological materials and to absorb carbon dioxide
generated by humans, using current management schemes and
extraction technologies

Source: Global Footprint Network. Retrieved from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/

14

Biocapacity Used by Humans: 1961

Source: Global Footprint Network. Retrieved from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/

15

Biocapacity Used by Humans: 2007

Source: Global Footprint Network. Retrieved from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/

16

Ecological Debt

17

Lecture 1 Exercise
n

Calculate your own footprint on the Global Footprint Networks

Web site and share your results with us on the BBS:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/
calculators/

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