Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget

by Mathis Wackernagel, Bert Beyers, Katharina Rout (Translator)

The only metric that tracks how much nature we have – and how much nature we use Ecological Footprint accounting, first introduced in the 1990s and continuously developed, continues to be the only metric that compares overall human demand on nature with what our planet can renew ― its biocapacity ― and distils this into one how many Earths we use. Our economy is running a Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi scheme with the planet. We use future resources to run the present, using more than Earth can replenish. Like any such scheme, this works for a limited time, followed by a crash. Avoiding ecological bankruptcy requires rigorous resource accounting ― a challenging task, but doable with the right tools. Ecological Footprint provides a complete introduction, Whether you’re a student, business leader, future-oriented city planner, economist, or have an abiding interest in humanity’s future, Footprint and biocapacity are key parameters to be reckoned with and Ecological Footprint is your essential guide. AWARDS

Genres: Environment

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Mathis Wackernagel is a Swiss-born sustainability advocate. He is currently President of Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability think tank with offices in Oakland, California; Brussels, Belgium, and Geneva, Switzerland. The think-tank is a non-profit that focuses on developing and promoting metrics for sustainability.
After earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, he completed his Ph.D. in community and regional planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada in 1994. There, as his doctoral dissertation under Professor William Rees, he created with Professor Rees the ecological footprint concept and developed the methodology. He has worked on sustainability issues for organizations in Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia and Australia. Wackernagel previously served as the director of the Sustainability Program at Redefining Progress in Oakland, California (1999 - 2003), and directed the Centre for Sustainability Studies / Centro de Estudios para la Sustentabilidad in Mexico (1995-2001). In 2004, he was also an adjunct faculty at SAGE of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 2010, he was appointed Frank H. T. Rhodes Class of 1956 Visiting Professor at Cornell University (1 July 2011 – 30 June 2013).
Wackernagel has said that "Overshoot will ultimately liquidate the planet's ecological assets."

Reviews

[Marc Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Mahis is describing how our economy is running a Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi scheme with the planet. This is so true.
“The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth’s capacity for biological regeneration.”

Mathis is also behind the annual Earth Overshoot Day, 2020 this was the 22 of August. If we all live like Americans we need 5 Earths!!

I had a long in-depth conversation with Mathis on my podcast Inside Ideas and you can find the Episode 99 here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2wkQ...

Or check out any of the links below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/what-is...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/mathi...

[Megan Rosenkranz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book detailing carbon footprints and the impact people have had on our world and what our world can withstand. It discusses the civic and ecological impacts of mismanaged resources in the world today and talks about biocapacity in a way I have never heard before. Lots of graphs that have potential in creating a picture book on climate change.

[Calvin Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who really tries to read a lot of books in the climate change space, but is generally frustrated by the lack of options, this book really sets itself apart. I find a lot of these books just spout a lot of platitudes and use numbers to back their points or just summarize other more complicated literature out there. The authors here not only contextualized the macro-implications of climate change in a useful way, but they also gave actionable items for policymakers, researchers, and everyday Earthlings to implement. Also I have a soft spot for their use of graphs, figures, and cartoons.

[Martina Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important read - discusses our relationship with and how our actions impact the planet in an easy to digest, but still very comprehensive manner. Introduces the concept of a "footprint" and why we need to think within the footprint concept if we are to adeptly combat climate change and bring society back to sustainable levels of resource consumption. Must read for anyone impacted by the climate crisis - so everyone!

[Nancy Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The virus isn’t the problem. Immigration isn’t the problem. Mass extinction isn’t the problem. Even climate change isn’t the problem. These are all symptoms. The problem is humans have overshot the Biocapacity of the planet by 70%. We are seriously overdrawn at the only bank there really is. The book “Ecological Footprint,” explains this, as well as outlines solutions, in words a C.E. O., city planner, or politician can understand.

[Toni Marcheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cool idea for an indicator, but overall this is a book trying hard to sell that indicator to the public. Does that make for good reading? In my opinion, not really. This probably shouldn't have been a book, but a paper (but papers don't sell to the public). Amid some great insights was a lot of repetition and fluff.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5