What is the ecological footprint and how to reduce it

Ecological footprint

Some of the most up-to-date studies on the Ecological Footprint confirm that humanity is currently consuming a quantity of natural resources equivalent to 1,6 Planets to meet your needs. And our country is among those that continue to consume more resources than they can produce.

The ecological footprint provides us a simple way to measure impact or the mark that a person, a community or a country leaves on the planet. An impact that has not stopped growing in recent years and that we can only counteract if we quickly change the way we produce, choose and consume resources. Today we talk in Bezzia about the ecological footprint and how to reduce ours, find out!

What is the ecological footprint?

The Ecological Footprint is the measure, expressed in global hectares (hag), of the impact of human activities on nature, represented by the area necessary to produce the resources and absorb the impacts of said activity:

  • Necessary surface for provide plant-based food.
  • Hectares of forest needed to assume CO2 from energy consumption.
  • Marine area destined for fishing.
  • Hectares needed for pasture that feeds livestock and produces food of animal origin.
  • Urbanized areas.

Surfaces destined to obtain resources and absorb impacts

Thanks to the ecological footprint, we can evaluate the impact that a certain form of life produces on the planet. It is, therefore, a widely used indicator for the measurement of sustainable development. An indicator still in development that for the moment does not account for the impacts that occur on the soil, the decrease in biodiversity, the atmosphere (except for CO2 emissions) and the degradation of the landscape.

How to reduce our footprint

Each activity generates its own ecological footprint. Agriculture, livestock, forestry, urbanization, water use and energy consumption are activities that influence in their own way to increase this footprint. And it is therefore in these areas that we must work to reduce our footprint. But how?

livestock

The data from the latest reports agree that the current food system is unsustainable. Almost 80% of agricultural land is currently used for livestock in order to produce meat and dairy products; Yet these animal products supply only 33% of the protein consumed by humans in the world. Hence, these same studies invite to bet on a vegan diet.

The Agriculture

The lands dedicated to agriculture occupy 34% of the Earth's land area. This activity is also responsible for 69% of freshwater withdrawals and, together with the rest of the food system, generates almost a third of the Emissions of greenhouse gases.

To reduce this impact, it is necessary to bet on both local products and a local and sustainable production. In addition, the excess consumption of products of animal origin influences here today as well. Why? Because part of these lands dedicated to agriculture are worked to feed these farm animals.

Factors influencing the ecological footprint

Energy

Although the energy transition process after the Paris Agreements is a fact, it is necessary to insist on the need to bet on renewable energy to fight climate change. Furthermore, it is necessary to focus on savings and efficiency as the only possible model.

What can you do? You can start by saving energy in your home following these simple tips and study different alternatives to generate your own energy, thus making your home more sustainable. In addition, it is important to know how they produce and how much it costs to produce at an energy level what we consume in order to be able to make better purchasing decisions.

The current consumption trend indicates that by 2050 we will need 2,5 planets to ensure production that meets the needs of all people on earth. And there are two areas that contribute especially to this growth and in which we should focus according to the latest studies: the greater consumption of animal products and energy, specifically, lto that it comes from fossil fuels.


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.