|
What size ecological boots? Week 27 (30 June 2008)
For the last four years I have lived in Finland. This beautiful and special country has made a lasting impression on me. It has a population of only five million people (about the same as London) but has a 40% larger land area compared with the UK. The stress that the Finnish population places on its natural resource base is far less than the UK.
The term that describes the load we are placing on the environment is ‘ecological footprint’. This is a more general term than the familiar ‘carbon footprint’. The ecological footprint encompasses every aspect of human consumption from food and fuel to water and materials. This is compared with the ecological capacity, ranging from forestry and fisheries to agriculture and the ability of natural systems to absorb waste. At world level, humanity’s consumption exceeded planet Earth’s capacity in the mid 1980s. Demand is now running at over 120% of the world’s bio capacity. We are driving the Earth’s natural ecosystem to destruction. We must reduce demand.
The aggregated world footprint indicates that the Earth can handle a consumption figure of 1.8 hectares per person. This is calculated by taking the Earth’s capacity and dividing it by the population. Although this figure is widely quoted, it has no practical use, for two reasons. First, where you live makes a difference in the consumption required. Up here in Finland, close to the Arctic Circle, surviving the long cold winter requires the wearing of rather larger ecological boots than say someone living in the tropics. Second, as the world population increases the figure for a personal sustainable ecological footprint reduces. Where a society makes the effort to become sustainable (and live within its ecological capacity) it would be absurd to force it to consume less to counter balance a rising population on the other side of the planet.
Finland is one of the most sustainable developed societies. Compared with the UK there are many things we could copy. These range from well insulated buildings and district heating systems to compact urban design that supports the cyclist. Recycling is another area of excellence. Although still well short of the system the world needs, it makes the UK look Stone Age in comparison.
There is a problem – or is there a problem? Finnish people wear rather big ecological boots, consuming 7.6 ha per person. The interesting figure is the surplus of 4.4 ha per person (capacity minus demand). Finland lives within its carrying capacity. Perhaps more countries should be planning to live within their ecological capacity – wearing ecological boots appropriate to their circumstances.
Looking at the ecological deficit/surplus around the world is interesting. It is not surprising that the US is running 4.8 ha per person over capacity when every American wears massive ecological boots of size 9.6 ha. However if Americans shifted to shoes size 4.8 ha (feasible) they would be running within capacity. The UK deficit of 4.0 ha is more deeply entrenched. People living in Britain consume 5.6 ha so would need to reduce this to 1.6 ha. Bangladesh is also in deficit by 0.2 ha per person. Bangladeshi’s consumption is already very low (0.5 ha per person). Reducing this to 0.3 seem to be impossible – the only feasible solution for Bangladesh (and perhaps the UK) is to control population.
Finland is a sparsely populated country that makes becoming sustainable easier. The UK is a small and crowded country reliant on trading with other countries to survive. For this to continue we need a world trade system that supports sustainability. Globalisation needs a different face. It is in the UK’s self interest to push hard for such a deal. Fail, and the UK will struggle to maintain its society as each country closes in to conserve its ecological capacity for its own use.
Wearing large ecological boots is OK if you have the capacity. If not, you need robust arrangements to borrow from others. The world has a tough challenge to find a way forward. My book Adapt and Thrive – written whilst living in Finland – shows the way.
www.footprintnetwork.org
© Peter McManners 2008
Click here to read previous blog entries
|
