Ecological footprints

Every action we take impacts, directly or indirectly, on the world around us. The food we eat, the resources we use, the way we travel, heat our homes, and deal with our waste, all have a bearing. Are we living beyond the Earth’s means to support our lifestyles? 'Ecological footprinting' is a way of calculating the sustainability of our lifestyles. It measures how much land is needed to support an individual's lifestyle, compared to how much land is literally available for that person (taking into account the Earth’s regenerative capacity). If the former exceeds the latter, a person is living unsustainably. Ecological footprints are expressed in global hectares per person, which is equal to the global average biologically productive hectare. An ecological footprint can be measured for whole regions as well as for individuals. The calculation usually takes into account the following factors:

• Food, fibre and timber consumption – including cropland, grassland and pasture for animal grazing, fishing ground, and forest areas for wood and fibre
• Energy consumption – the area needed to provide, and absorb the waste from, fossil fuels, nuclear and hydropower, including CO2 capture
• Water withdrawal – including lakes, rivers, reservoirs and aquifers
• Transport and building materials
• Waste production – including household, agricultural and commercial waste

The world average ecological footprint in 2001 was 2.2 global hectares per person, which is more than the biologically productive global average of 1.8 global hectares per person. This means that the Earth and its resources are being used beyond their regenerative capacity. The ecological footprint varies greatly around the world. Here in the South East of England we have a footprint of 6.8 global hectares per person - if everyone lived like us, we would need three and a half planets to sustain us all. We can, of course, all take positive steps to reduce our footprint. Consider the following:

• Install energy-efficient heating systems and house insulation
• Switch to a green energy supplier
• Reduce, reuse and recycle waste
• Use water efficiently and install water-saving devices
• Use public transport, cycle or walk where possible, or consider car pooling
• Purchase locally grown low-packaged produce
• Purchase recycled products and those that are sustainably sourced (such as FSC accredited wood products)
• Reduce your meat intake

For more information, see our ethical living article.

References and more information:

The Global Footprint Network Taking Stock - Ecological footprinting for the South East. WWF’s 2004 Living Planet Report Earthday Network - Work out your personal footprint and how to reduce it.