Ecological Footprints

 

Our settlement affects much more than the area where we live. Our consumption of land for food, energy, and transportation extends far a field. And the ecologically productive land available to each person on Earth has decreased over the last century. The average Canadian needs nearly three city blocks of land or 4.8 hectares of land. The Netherlands has a population of 15 million people or 4.40 people per hectare, and require more than 15 times the available land for food, forest products and energy. Increasing density in cities can lead to lower land use requirements, not only because of a reduction in the built environment, but also because of lifestyles which are less energy-intensive.

The key requirements for developing a sustainable community require us to integrate environmental, economic and social policies so that economic success, ecological integrity and social health become compatible.

 

Click here to measure your ecological footprint