Advancing the Science of Sustainability

In regards to the Global Footprint Network article Advancing the Science of Sustainability, various research and solutions are found in association to footprints and efforts to minimizing them. Ecological Footprint measures human activity developing ecological demand. This activity can also serve as an “indicator of the pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity,” (Global Footprint Network, 2012). Specifically what GFN is looking within this human activity is CO2 emission rates which go into nature and regenerated. CO2 emission rates that are higher than 44% leads to what the article calls an “ecological overshoot,” causing a decrease in nature and its resources.

What surprised me the most--or I guess thinking about it, it doesn’t really surprise me--was the fact that “humanity’s Ecological Footprint has grown 80% over the last four decades,” (Global Footprint Network, 2012). Triggers to this stressing high rate are habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, invasive alien species, and climate change.

By analyzing the sources of these threats and pressures, we can then look for alternatives to halt, if not minimize, biodiversity loss. For example, some obvious effects due to climate change is loss of polar sea ice and coral reefs dying off. Indirect causes for this to happen is high emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, (Global Footprint Network, 2012). If we were to switch to better and healthier sources of energy that wouldn’t be as harsh in losing biodiversity, we’d already be improving our eco system and slowing down the process of climate change.

There were many initiatives hosted by world governments, Japan and the Netherlands to name a few, who felt the need to halt biodiversity loss by 2010. Current initiatives can consist of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Paris Climate Agreement which support all endeavors increasing human development for everyone and combating climate change.

I do believe it is possible to lower humanity’s ecological footprint. I think what makes it so intimidating for society to switch to more sustainable alternatives is because it may have not been done before and that there maybe risk of economic and financial burden. That’s where social responsibility and accountability comes in though. We have to remember, however; we’ll all in this together.

-MASR

Global Footprint Network: Advancing the Science of Sustainability. (2012, July). The Ecological Footprint and Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/the_footprint_and_biodiversity/

#journalism #climatechange #sustainability #UnitedNations