The ecological footprint
Do we really know what impact our activities have on the environment? In order to measure this concept, in the mid.1990s an environmental indicator called the ecological footprint was designed.
It is a statistical concept used to calculate expenditure of energy and natural resources generated by consumption and absorption of waste. It does not only consider tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, but also the area of forest required to absorb this gas, in order to estimate how many planet earths would be required if we all had the same ecological footprint.
Therefore, the ecological footprint shows us our impact on the world using a quick and simple test. The results are calculated from our direct and indirect energy expenditure and show us if our consumption habits today are sustainable in the future.
