conf ing.ec.dr eugenia aurel vlaicu university of arad, romania [email protected] ecological...
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Ecological footprint concept
Ecological footprint is a technique both analytical and teaching, assessing not only the capacity for sustainability of human activities at current levels.
It is also an effective tool for creating and sustaining social conscience in decisions
We can define a footprint for the production organic surface area required to produce resource consumption and waste for uptake by a specific population.
EA tells us how much "nature" we use to support our lifestyle and expressed in ha / inhabitant / year
In formal terms, the ecological footprint (EF) is defined as the sum of productive ecological territories (land and water) in various categories (agricultural land, passtures, forests, sea) which is required to give all energy resources and material consumed by a population and to absorb its wastes, no matter where it is located in that territory
An integral part in the implementation of this methodology is the territorial system sustainability analysis.
This is the calculation of biocapacityBiocapacity measured bioproductivity offer.
In other words, aggregate production of various types of ecosystems that belong to certain areas and territories range from arable to pasture, woods, including the productive marine areas and built-up areas and degraded land.
Biocapacity depends on natural conditions, but also the prevailing agricultural practices.
For each area, biocapacity can be calculated by multiplying the area (ha) with an input or an equivalency factor, which then allows local production reporting to the world, for that type of surface.
Meanwhile, in this way you can turn this area into global hectares (GHa).
Comparing global footprint with global biocapacity or a region or area well defined, one can evaluate the consumption area.
Thus, if EF has a value less than or equal biocapacity - when the studied area has a standard of living sustainably.
If EF is greater than biocapacity - the area then consume more resources than are available in the area.
Sustainability requires that natural capital should not be consumed faster than it is necessary to regenerate.
"Natural capital" includes not only all the natural resources and all surfaces for the support and waste absorption, but all biophysical processes and all components of the ecosphere relations that guarantee essential services life.
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
Consumption categories used in the EF calculation are:
- foods- housing- transport- consumer goods- services
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
Categories of land and sea (aquatic surface) used in the calculation of EF are:
- Energy field, in particular for the absorption of CO2- Degraded, unused- Agricultural land for food production and otherpastures- Forestry- Built + constructions (buildings and infrastructure)- Sea (waters), although fish resources
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
Detailed analysis of each category of consumption comes coupled with the necessary land surface by category necessary for their production.
One of the classical equations looks like this:
Imapct of human species on Earth=total population x consmption/inhabitant x used technology
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
From this relation it follows that we can represent the impact of each category of consumption in the area of land needed to produce that unit of consumption.
Thus, it can be associated with each item consumed specific surface area, different types:
- Cultivated land area needed to produce food - agricultural area
- Grazing area to raise animals - pasture area
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
For each of the units of the consumption or consumption patterns using a proportionality factor.
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
F - consumption footprintEi - mark derived from the consumption of Ciqi - changes in product quantities consumed
andExpressed in ha / kg of product consumed.
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
f- pro capite footprint Ei - mark derived from the consumption of CiN - number of individuals or population (families, individuals ... depends on the account size)
Ecological footrpint calculation methodology
It is possible to calculate an ecological balance between human demand of natural resources and services and the nature of their job.
Also, we can define and environmental balance by subtracting the local supply of environmentally productive area for this type of application area resulting from the calculation of EF.
A negative value corresponds to the environmental ecological deficit situation.
A positive value corresponds to the environmental situation of ecological surplus
Bibliography
Wackernagel M., Rees W. E. (1996), The ecological footprint. Like reducing the impact of the man on the earth, Ed. Ambiente, Milano.
Wackernagel M., Rees W. E., (1996), Impronta ecologica, Editura Ambiente, Milano.
Thank you!