Our Ecological Footprint

The Earth’s eco-system cannot sustain current levels of economic activity and material consumption. Current resource harvesting and waste generation deplete nature faster than it can regenerate. This is called the “ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT” (EF) and can be measured - this analysis can show how much we have to reduce our consumption, improve our technology, or change our behaviour to achieve sustainability. Confusion about the meaning of sustainability and why it matters has slowed progress to achieving it. Sustainable development requires first developing sustainability, that may actually require a reduction in resource through-put.

The bad news is that the economic mainstream shows little sign of recognising bio-physical constraints of any kind. Natural capital is a pre-requisite for human-made goods, while the opposite is not the case. No amount of manufactured goods will compensate for the loss of natural capital. Shrinking carrying capacity may soon become the single most important issue confronting humanity. At the moment we have 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) of ecologically productive land for every person on earth. But only 0.25 hectares (0.62 acres) of this is arable where food can be grown, and this is diminished fast through erosion. High-input production agriculture typically depletes cropland soils 10 to 20 times faster than they can regenerate. The EF of average citizens in rich countries exceeds their “fair earth share” by a factor of 2 to 3. If you are interested in how many planet earths you need for your lifestyle, look up the website of the Ministry for the Environment and go to “Ecological Footprint”. There is simply not enough bio-physical capital to sustain prevailing development myths. Consumption by the affluent 1.1 billion people alone claims more than the entire carrying capacity of the earth.

In permaculture we have the ethics of “Care for the Earth, Care for the People, Share Resources and Consume Sustainably” so we must learn to live within the means of nature and reduce our ecological footprint. Live simply so others can simply live.