MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Abstract

The ecological footprint is a calculation of the energy used to create the products consumed by a person or community. It is also used as a sustainability indicator, though proof indicates that it falls short. The assumptions underlying footprint estimates have been widely criticized; I provide more proof here that clear economic concepts are not satisfied because both the theory and historical facts contradict the basic assumptions. In fact, I contend that the footprint arbitrarily implies both zero greenhouse gas emissions, which may not be ideal and national borders, which renders it impossible to extrapolate from the average ecological footprint. Intensive development may therefore not be taken into consideration in the footprint, and so bio-capacity comparisons are erroneous. Using just the footprint assumptions then, one might argue that the Planet will support dramatically expanded output, but there are essential restrictions that cannot be solved by the footprint, such as land erosion. Finally, the lack of connection between the destruction of land and the ecological footprint obscures the impact of a broader issue of biodiversity. Better environmental metrics will specifically resolve these concerns.