Foreword

When I was born in 1962, the world still had significant Like in the financial world, overspending can work, for If we want to realize the “right to develop” – and this ecological reserves. Residents of most of the world’s some time. The question is for how long, and at what is the motivation behind this publication – we must countries demanded less resources and emitted less costs. When adding up moderate projections of UN work with the budget of nature, not against it. Ignoring waste than their respective countries’ ecosystems could agencies for 2050, based on slow population growth, nature’s budget weakens us – makes it less likely that regenerate. Today, less than 20 percent of the world slight improvements of people’s diets, decarbonization we can secure human wellbeing. population lives in countries where this is still the case. of our energy systems, continued increase in agricultural productivity, human demand would be twice of what To succeed, and to make this success last, we need This assessment is based on Ecological Footprint Earth could provide. to reverse these trends. I am an unwavering optimist accounting, a balance sheet that compares how much and am convinced we can. Consider this: if the current nature we have to how much nature we use. Based Banking on this growing level of consumption is trends in biocapacity and Footprint were financial on about 5000 data points per country and year, all unrealistic. Demand would be too far out of sync with curves, every planner, economist or minister would from UN statistical sources, it documents our resource supply. Worse, the accumulated ecological debt from know what would need to be done. They would huddle balance. The results for 2005: human demand on decades of ecological overspending cannot be fed and identify an aggressive agenda for action. Nothing the biosphere exceeds by 30 percent what Earth can indefinitely by depleting our planet. There just are not less is required with our current resource trends. After renew. In other words, it takes a year and four months that many fisheries to overharvest, atmospheres to fill all, money can be printed, but resources cannot. to regenerate what humanity uses within that one year. up with CO2, or forests to deforest.

Mathis Wackernagel

The Ecological Power of Nations 1 Purpose of this publication

This work is based in part on statistical information that nations work together to best manage ecological assets so countries provide to the United Nations Food and Agricul- that those assets are not depleted or degraded, but rather, ture Organization (UN FAO), the UN Development Program can continue to meet human demands as well as maintain (UNDP) and other international agencies. It is presented a healthy biodiversity? here in a way that shows the demand the human commu- nity is putting on the Earth’s ecological assets. The relation- The data presented in this publication is intended as a ship between this demand and the availability of natural means to enhance the understanding of the extent, use capital to satisfy it is shown both globally and for individual and distribution of ecological assets, and their relation- nations. ship to human wellbeing. This provides an objective and measurable starting point for politicians, decision makers, The purpose of this publication is to provide data rather opinion leaders and citizens to address the sustainability than policy recommendations, and to open a creative challenge—how to live well, while living within the means debate over the implications of living in a resource-con- of the planet. This challenge is perhaps the key issue of the strained world. Statistics show that the human community 21st century, and how it is resolved will likely determine the is using the Earth’s living resources faster than the planet is fate of humanity and the rest of the Earth’s species. able to regenerate them. This publication is intended as a starting point for discussion to raise awareness of the vari- We invite all countries and organizations to participate in ous risks and opportunities for individual countries created this debate, and to explore the implications of the Ecologi- Earth, our home planet is the only planet in our so- lar system known to harbor life and life of incredible by this resource imbalance by asking such questions as: cal Footprint and biocapacity data for national programs, diversity. The view from space enables us to better for valuation of ecological services, and for international understand how thin and fragile is the Earth’s atmo- • What does this global deficit mean to those countries that agreements such as those designed to protect biodiversity. sphere, how it protects us from the uninhabitable void and why we need to protect it. use less biological capacity than they have available? In particular, this data provides an important perspective for shaping and evaluating post-Kyoto and other initiatives The presence of the Moon stabilizes the Earth’s wob- • What does it mean for those who are in ecological deficit? related to the emission and capture of carbon dioxide gen- ble thereby making the climate more stable in billions of years of influence. The regular daily and monthly erated by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. In a rhythms of Earth’s only natural satellite, the Moon, • What are the political, economic, social and strategic im- world of “peak everything;” food, water, climate, soil and have guided timekeepers for thousands of years. Its plications of the fact that eight countries control more than energy, this perspective given current ecological reality can influence on the Earth’s cycles, notably the tides, has also been charted by many cultures throughout many half the planet’s biological capacity? help in the evaluation of proposed solutions to see if they ages. More than 70 spacecraft have been sent to the are sufficient and will result in an absolute reduction in hu- Moon; 12 astronauts have walked upon its surface • If the wellbeing of all is a manity’s ecological overshoot rather than just transferring and brought back 842 pounds of lunar rock and soil to Earth. This color-coded image shows the Moon’s desirable goal, how can pressure from one type of ecosystem to another. mineral composition and barren soil.

2 Introduction

Recent and ongoing news – from the economy to the available and where they are being used. This gives environment – make it clear: The world is changing, us a new way to see the world and provides the foun- and we cannot continue to ignore the importance of dation for a new chapter of global collaboration with ecological assets. With an expanding population and a view to share the ecological assets, without their an economy that has already crossed many global lim- depletion or degradation. its, now more than ever it is essential to recognize that the health and wellbeing of the human community de- Throughout this publication, you will see demonstrated pends on the health and wellbeing of the Earth’s eco- the growing need for nations to recognize the value of systems. their own natural resources as well as the need to find a way for humanity to live well, within the means of our The world is changing not only with regard to growing planet. You will also learn more about the the Ecologi- resource scarcity, but also in the way we are becom- cal Footprint - the metric tool that calculates human ing increasingly more interconnected and interdepen- pressure on the planet, and about a new way of look- dent. The global economy and the internet are only a ing at nations, from the perspective of natural capital, part of the reason for this change. Today, we can track questioning whether or not nations have enough natu- the flow of resources around the world in an account- ral capital to supply their own consumption or are they All forms of life on the planet coexist within a thin surface lay- ing system that shows where ecological assets are operating in ecological deficit. er 40 miles thick, the biosphere. This layer extends from the depths of the oceans to the stratosphere and it is here where all living creatures interact with chemical processes and the energy from the sun to sustain life. Picture taken by the Gemini 9 tripulation on July 5, 1966. NASA

The Ecological Power of Nations 3

QF • E P • F Y QF EF= • E YN F • Y _ FE = A E The Earth’s biosphere absorbs the energy from the sun and tive systems that are often unpredictable. Air, water, land, stand. Photo of anvils over the Pacific Ocean. NASA, July C FI from within its thin, fragile layer, it supplies everything we and life - including human life - combine forces to create 21, 2003. B E need to survive. The Earth is made up of complex, interac- a constantly changing world that we are striving to under- + BCP 4 The Ecological Power of Nations F = E C We’re going to have to think of ourselves as a subsystem, part of the natural world and that we depend upon it in two ways:

we’ll have to take from the natural world resources

at a rate at which the naturalF world can regenerate and we’ll have to throw back the wastes • EQ from using those natural resources at a rate the natural world can assimilate P • YF F Q Herman Daly. = • EF E YN YF F E • A _ E C = F B + E I BCP F = The Ecological Power of Nations 5 E C 6 The Ecological Power of Nations The Earth’s ecological limits

While economies, populations and resource demands stocks and allowing carbon to concentrate in the at- grow, the size of the planet remains the same. To sat- mosphere. Ecological overshoot is possible only for a isfy our demands, the human community is using the limited time before ecosystems begin to degrade and Earth’s living resources more than 35 % faster than possibly collapse. Many of the results are already vis- they are regenerated. The continuing growth in this ible today in the form of water shortages, desertifica- demand, according to moderate United Nations sce- tion, erosion, reduced cropland productivity, overgraz- narios, suggests that by the early 2030s our consump- ing, deforestation, rapid extinction of species, collapse tion will require the capacity of 2 planet Earths. If we of fisheries and global climate change. continue on this path without altering course, room to maneuver will quickly diminish. Some of the pressures we are putting on the planet today will have consequences that may only be seen In 2008, by September 23rd, humanity’s use of eco- long into the future. logical resources exceeded the amount the planet pro- duced in that entire 2008 year. Since the mid-1980s, when global ecological overshoot first became a reality, we have been living on ecological credit. To support In the effort to expand the agricultural frontier, 200 million acres our consumption, we have been liquidating resource of the Amazon Basin have become unproductive and seen a loss of soil fertility. Tropical forests store between 50 and 170 tons of carbon dioxide per acre, FAO estimates that 7.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide, between 18 and 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation annually. Deforesta- tion in Amazonia, Mato Grosso, Brazil (12°38’ S, 60°12’ W). Latin America, beyond its identity as a culturally cohesive unit ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. is also the largest region of regenerative biological capacity on Earth. With almost the same biocapacity of Asia-Pacific but with a population six times smaller, Latin America contributes an invaluable ecological service to the sustainment of life on this planet. The Amazon basin contains 25% of the species of the planet, 15% of unfrozen fresh water and is home to more than 400 indigenous groups. However, the situation is chang- ing rapidly; more than 2 million hectares of forests are being burned each year; now one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Photo NASA. This chart shows humanity’s increasing Ecological Footprint. In 1961 we used only half of the biocapacity of the Earth; to- day we use 35% more than is available.

The Ecological Power of Nations 7 Huella Ecológica y biocapacidad per cápita de países. 2005

8 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Footprint measures the area of bi- Both the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity are ologically productive land and water required to measured in standard units called global hectares provide the resources used and absorb the waste (gha). One gha represents a hectare of land with generated by human activity, under current techno- world average productivity. logy. A country’s Footprint reflects consumption by its residents, and includes imported goods and ser- This graphs shows the relative size of each coun- vices but not those which are exported. try’s Footprint and biocapacity.

Biocapacity is the area of productive land and sea available to produce resources and absorb waste.

The Ecological Power of Nations 9 10 The Ecological Power of Nations Notice that the graphs have different scales

Countries with biocapacity greater than their Footprints and serves as insurance against economic and eco- have ecological reserves. An ecological reserve is not logical instability. Conversely, as reserves disappear, necessarily unused—it may be supplying resources countries are at risk of greater dependency on eco- for export, or sequestering carbon dioxide. Maintaining logical services from others, and the possibilities for ecological reserves provides a competitive advantage, sustainable development are reduced.

The Ecological Power of Nations 11 Intertropical convergence zone, NASA

12 The Ecological Power of Nations “First we have to change how we view the world, and that will cause us to change how we act.”

Thomas Homer-Dixon

The Ecological Power of Nations 13 The changing world

The world is changing and we cannot continue to also to a sense of disconnection and loss of mean- ignore the importance of ecological assets. ing. Can we establish instead a symbiotic relation- ship between human and natural communities, pre- In the past, we valued economic growth and quick serving the integrity of life and restoring the sense of profit with no concern for the environment. Today, joy at being one with the Earth? having exceeded the limits of the planet, it becomes ever more important to manage our ecological wealth In the past, we asked, who is right? Who is wrong? responsibly, so that it can continue to support both Who needs to change? Today, could we begin to ask human and economic wellbeing. ourselves, “how can we collaborate to create a good life for all?” In the past, maximizing financial capital was the goal, regardless of environmental consequences. But per- In the past, we tried to establish relations only with with the haps maximizing ecological assets is a more power- perfect partner. Could it be that, more important than hav- ful goal. Nature is the playing field that makes pos- ing the perfect partner is being the perfect partner? sible all economic activity. Ecological assets can be both opportunities as well as constraints; how do we In the past, we thought that it was impossible to agree measure them, and manage them wisely? unless all participants were willing. Could it be that one The Earth as seen from the Space Station window. Today we partner can create the difference by choosing to act can see ourselves from space as a sphere in a cosmic voyage. The artificial borders between countries are almost unnotice- In the past, we sought to dominate nature in our with ethical leadership? able, and the perception of the planet is as a unit in which quest for it to service mankind, provoking the de- all it’s parts have a regulatory effect that promotes life. Photo struction of nature. Can we establish instead a har- In the past, changes were often slow and incremental. NASA. monious relationship between human beings and Might we now be on the verge of a quantum leap that the rest of nature to maximize the wellbeing of both? can establish balance between humanity and the natural world? In the past, we have often treated nature simply as a pantry of resources. This has lead not only to pol- lution and the degradation of the natural capital, but “I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself ” .

H. D. Thoreau

14 The Ecological Power of Nations The green pigment of chlo- rophyll from plants, trees and algae absorbs the en- ergy from the sun and pro- duces a series of chemical reactions (photosynthesis) that combine carbon diox- ide with water to produce food. Oxygen is a byproduct of this process. Los Micos lagoon, San Pe- dro Sula region, Honduras (15°47’ N, 87°35’ W) ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

The Ecological Power of Nations 15 Helix Nebula, a spectacular image of a dying star unraveling into space at a distance of 650 light years, in the Aquarius constellation. Photo of Splitzer Space Telescope, NASA

16 The Ecological Power of Nations “A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more”.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter

The Ecological Power of Nations 17 Vision of a good life

Humanity’s challenge is to live well, while carefully using World population is rising at 1.3% a year. the resources that nature provides so that the wellbe- At this rate, population doubles every 50 ing of future generations is not compromised. This is years. However since we live in a finite the challenge of sustainable development. The United world, it is impossible for this population Nations defines living well as surpassing minimum stan- growth to continue indefinitely. Growth will dards for life expectancy, for education and literacy, and decline as the Earth’s carrying capacity for the ability to purchase needed goods and services; becomes more evident. Equally can we together these determine a nation’s score on the Hu- ask ourselves if it is the same with the man Development Index (HDI). The UN defines a score economy? Can the economy grow infi- of 0.8 as the threshold for a high level of development. nitely? After all, the economy is subsidiary But living well can only be sustained if it is done within of the environment and cannot continue to the Earth’s ecological limits. This means that the av- operate without a supply of the resources erage person’s Ecological Footprint must not exceed upon which it depends, and adequate the biocapacity available to support each individual on means to dispose of its waste. the planet. Using world-average productivity figures for Crowd in Abengourou, Ivory Coast (6°44’ N, 3°29’ W). ©Yann Arthus-Ber- trand. the 6.5 billion inhabitants of the planet, we each have available just over 2 hectares of fertile land. However, if we take into account that biocapacity must be shared with other species. In reality we have much less than 2 hectares. Taken together, these two thresholds define the minimum conditions that must be met if a globally sustainable society is to be achieved.

As populations expand, economies grow and the de- … From a thing-oriented society to a people-oriented society. mand for ecological resources increases. Thus, both the biocapacity available to support each individual’s M. L. King consumption shrinks and the space for sustainable de- velopment is reduced.

18 The Ecological Power of Nations In a sustainable world, all countries would enjoy a high level of development, defined by the UN as an HDI score above 0.8, and the average Ecological Footprint would be less than 2.1 global hectares, the amount currently available per person on the planet. Countries meeting both these criteria would be located in the green quadrant. As world population grows, or if a percentage of biocapacity is reserved for the use of wild species, the green quadrant shrinks accordingly.

In spite of international recognition almost twenty years ago of the need for sustainable development, al- most no country now meets both of these minimal criteria.

Can we learn to live well on less than 2.1 global hectares per person?

The Ecological Power of Nations 19 Garbage disposal is one of the biggest problems of the cit- ies. Mexico produces 20,000 tones of resi- dential garbage daily. Refuse dump in Mexi- co City, Mexico (19°25’ N – 99°01’ W)

20 The Ecological Power of Nations “We simply don’t have a vision of an alternative economic system

that isn’t oriented toward unending material growth.

Until we have an alternative vision, we won’t give up the one we have.”

Homer-Dixon

The Ecological Power of Nations 21 A new way to see ourselves

In this graph, countries running ecologi- cal deficits-those whose Footprints ex- ceed their own biocapacity- are shown in red.

Ecological creditor countries -those who have more biocapacity than they them- selves are using- are shown in green.

In facing this formidable challenge of living well Geopolitics in the 20th century emphasized the are taking place at the speed of light. The Earth is within ecological limits, economic indicators of strategic importance of controlling non-renewable transitioning from a battleground to a single, inte- consumption like GDP perhaps become less valu- natural resources, with demand for fossil fuels, grated, interdependent, and ultimately indivisible able, and the differences between ‘developed’ and metals and minerals playing a critical role in shaping whole. ’developing’ countries become less meaningful. As foreign policy in the search for new commercial op- resource constraints play an increasingly prominent portunities, and military control. Scientists are coming to see the living planet as a role in determining quality of life, the distinction be- single, self-regulating organism, with its fauna and tween countries that have more biocapacity than But in today’s world, new means of connectivity fa- flora interacting with geochemical processes keep- they are using and those running ecological deficits cilitate social relations and global transactions that ing the climate stable and suitable for life. is becoming ever more significant.

22 The Ecological Power of Nations The search to integrate the human community with the larger biological community suggests the need for a new social and economic architecture, one that is more aligned with the earth’s physiology. The old geopolitical paradigm is being replaced by a new biopolitical one, and with this shift will come a transition from competition to collaboration, a richness of new possibilities, and creative new solutions for living well without transgressing the Earth’s ecological limits.

This meat factory reflects the degree of industrialization in Ja- Agricultural landscape near Quito, Ecuador (0°13’ S, 78°30’ W). pan. Cattle raised here are fed with resources that are grown ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. using biocapacity located in distant regions. Much of this biocapacity is found in ecological creditor countries. Cattle- raising near Fukuyama (East of Hiroshima), Honshu, Japan (34°31’ N, 133°20’ E) ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

The Ecological Power of Nations 23 Night on Earth reveals the regions of the planet where energy In this picture fires set to burn forest land for agricultural ex- wasted each year, enough to power both Germany and consumption is concentrated. Approximately 85% of the elec- pansion are also visible. Up to 25% of global carbon emis- France. trical energy of the planet is generated from coal and oil, which sions result from the burning of forests. are increasingly scarce and pollute the atmosphere with car- The glare of blue light in the oceans comes from commercial bon dioxide. Flaring of natural gas during petroleum extraction can also fishing at night. Photo NASA. be seen. More than 100 billion cubic meters of gas are

24 The Ecological Power of Nations Earth by day shows where land is covered by vegetation, and production, erosion control, recycling of fresh water, and the value of the biocapacity they are making available for use by the marine area where most ecological services are being pro- provision of habitat for biodiversity. These essential services others, and then seek to be compensated for the ecological vided. The services provided by these areas include the cap- are not typically measured nor valued in monetary terms, and services they are providing. Terra modis, aqua modis. NASA ture of dispersed carbon dioxide and its regeneration, through as a result are often taken for granted. This situation is likely 2005 photosynthesis, into useful resources. Other invaluable servic- to change as the world becomes increasingly resource con- es provided by ecosystems include climate regulation, oxygen strained, and ecological creditor countries begin to realize the

The Ecological Power of Nations 25 Ecological creditor and ecological deficit countries

Ecological deficit countries, those without sufficient bio- Countries with ecological defi- capacity to meet their own demands, risk economic dis- cits have an Ecological Footprint greater than their own biocapac- ruption as increasing scarcity of resources and limits on ity. Ecological creditor countries carbon emissions bring higher prices. Countries whose have Footprints smaller than their biocapacity. biocapacity is greater than their Footprints, ecological Creditor countries might use their creditors, have ecological assets that could contribute net biocapacity reserves to sup- port increased consumption by to maintaining their autonomy and independence, and their own residents, to generate provide a form of insurance against economic and eco- goods for export, to sequester carbon, or to set area aside for logical instability. This more secure position may prove the protection of biodiversity. advantageous in future international relations. Some, but not all of these uses are mutually compatible. Coun- tries running ecological deficits While countries with ecological deficits may need to im- are drawing down their own eco- systems, or depending on the port resources, countries with biocapacity greater than biocapacity of other nations for their own Footprints often use the remainder to provide imported resources and/or for carbon sequestration. exports that generate income. If managed well, these ecological assets can provide an ongoing revenue stream that continues indefinitely. But if overexploited, these same ecosystems can become degraded and suffer a reduction or even permanent loss of productiv- ity due to pollution, deforestation, agricultural practices that lead to erosion and a corresponding loss of eco- systems and their services. This reduces the possibility of achieving sustainable development goals, both for that individual nation and for the planet as a whole.

How then do we best manage this ecological wealth? This challenge is for all countries, ecological creditors as well as those running ecological deficits, and meet-

26 The Ecological Power of Nations ing this challenge requires both vision, and the practical of its inhabitants. But all countries face a common set tools to make sustainable development a reality. of challenges as well: to build and maintain a robust economy while minimizing dependence on limited eco- When Japan imports Ecuadorian wood to make pa- logical resources, and to ensure that the biocapacity per, when Europe imports meat fed by Brazilian soy, or on which it depends, whether local or global, can con- when the United States imports Peruvian cotton, these tinue to provide the necessary resources and to safely importing countries, all of whom are running ecological absorb the waste. Changes are slow and the sooner deficits, are using biocapacity from beyond their own we act, the greater will be the return on the investment. borders. Because disruptions of this supply chain can Pioneers may well benefit. negatively impact their economies and their quality of life, countries with ecological deficits that are importing Meeting these challenges will require the creation of renewable resources are dependent on how well both resource-efficient and waste-reuse infrastructure, and their own ecological assets and those of their trading in many cases a leapfrogging over resource-intensive partners are being managed. phases of development that are no longer technologi- cally necessary. Together with the appropriate programs For countries that can’t currently afford to import re- and regulations, this focus on investing in low-Footprint Exploitation of forests for wood is a main contributor to the Brazilian economy. Close to 8,000 square miles are deforested sources, it is especially in their self-interest to make infrastructure will help bring about and then sustain a each year in the Amazon basin. The world loses around 45,000 sure their own biocapacity is well-managed. If not, high level of development. However, reaching this goal square miles a year of tropical forest. 80% of the deforesta- tion is illegal so what is needed is political will and economic these countries are at greater risk of scarcity, hunger, also means managing biocapacity to optimize its long- incentives to keep the forests alive. Floating wood down the desertification, economic collapse, political instability term productivity, while paying careful attention to the Amazon, near the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (3°09’ S, 59°58’ W). ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. and resource wars. impact of a growing population on overall demand for goods and services. In an increasingly resource-constrained world, ecologi- cal assets and the politics of the biosphere are playing an ever more important role in international relations. Every country has its own unique characteristics and its own path to follow, and there are many factors each needs to consider to decrease risks to the quality of life

The Ecological Power of Nations 27 Investment priorities

Today’s infrastructure investment policies are decisions Moderate UN projections translated into Ecological that will affect the future wellbeing for generations, as what Footprint terms, suggest that by the mid 2030s the is built today will be around for many decades to come. pressure from human activity will be double the Earth’s biocapacity to meet it. We have already been running Ecological Footprint analysis can inform the decision ecological deficits for at least a quarter of a century, and making process so the infrastructure projects we are the accumulating debt continues to grow. The degrada- about to build will contribute to future quality of life, and tion of the ecosystem is in danger of bringing collapse not become resource traps that compromise wellbeing to life as we know it. Society needs to change course and increase dependency and vulnerability. It can help to live within the limits of our one and only planet. We us shape and answer questions like: need the right information, the creativity and the will to establish unprecedented global collaborations. How can we best invest in renewable energies that, while reducing dependency on polluting and increas- ingly scarce fossil fuels, do not create problems else- where in the biosphere? How do we build and en- courage use of the most efficient and resilient public transportation systems?

Big infrastructure projects take years to plan, design and finance and while many are about to leave the drawing board and begin the building phase, with the ecological challenges we are facing, numerous proj- Renewable and clean energy is generated with ects are already obsolete even before they are built. technologies developed Which infrastructure ventures need to be redesigned by the air space indus- try to harness the power to avoid falling into resource traps that will compromise of the wind. Windmills the wellbeing of future generations? Which will be resil- of Banning Pass, near Palm Springs, California, ient enough to take advantage of future opportunities in United States (33°55’ N, a resource constrained world? 116°42’ W). ©Yann Ar- thus-Bertrand.

28 The Ecological Power of Nations The Earth provides us with everything we need to live Are these ecological assets thriving or declining? and thrive, but with the human community having al- ready surpassed the planet’s ecological limits, devel- Can technological advances and greater efficiency oping sustainably can no longer be delayed. compensate for increased demand for goods and ser- vices? Just as it is essential for a business to keep detailed financial accounts in order to manage and benefit from How can your population live well using fewer re- its assets, countries need ecological resource ac- sources? counts to manage their ecological assets and protect the wellbeing of their populations. With the same atten- Are your infrastructure investments contributing to tion that today we pay to GDP, paying close attention your country’s security, or are they increasing its vul- to biocapacity and Ecological Footprint resource ac- nerability? counts can tell us how much we have, how much we are using, what is being used, and by whom. Doing so This new symbiotic vision based on biological resourc- provides us with the essential information needed to es means rethinking the conventional geopolitical as- make ecological limits a central consideration in policy sumptions and ideas about security and progress that Vehicles are responsible for 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions, but indirectly they are also responsible for emis- and decision making. It can help us answer questions don’t take into account the natural dynamic of ecosys- sions from the manufacturing of steel, aluminum, rubber, lead, such as: tems, and all that is making it difficult to live in a sustain- asphalt, and cement for road building. There are 800 million cars in the world today. These cars re- able way. quire continuous investment in new roads and other hard sur- Is your country running an ecological deficit or are you faces, which typically result in the paving over of bioproductive areas. Freeway interchange near the port of Yokohama, Hons- still an ecological creditor? hu, Japan (35°27’ N, 139°41’ E). ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

What are the risks and opportunities for your country in a resource constrained world?

What ecological assets does your country have, and how are they valued in the world market?

The Ecological Power of Nations 29 30 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Power of Nations 31 32 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Power of Nations 33 34 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Power of Nations 35 36 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Power of Nations 37 38 The Ecological Power of Nations The Ecological Power of Nations 39 Credits Photographs References and further reading

Global Footprint Network Photographs accredited as NASA, provided by many sources, are the Ecological Footprint Atlas, Global Footprint Network, 2008. www.foot- Mathis Wackernagel - Executive Director result of the collaboration between various institutions: Image science printnetwork.org/atlas. & Análisis Laboratory, JSC (Jonson Space Center), JPL (Jet Propulsion Biosphere, Vladimir Vernardsky, 1962 Fundación Acuerdo Ecuador Laboratory), Splitzer Space Telescope. UCSD, Caltech, UA. All pho- El cambio climático no tiene fronteras, Carlos Amat, Comunidad Andina. Gloria Dávila – Executive Director tographs and images have been obtained using a variety of methods 2008 from X ray, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), Global Land Cover, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Foro de Ciudades para la Vida OLS (Operational Linescan System) taken from terrestrial systems, Research Centre, European Commission, 2000 http://ies.jrc.ec.europa. Liliana Miranda: Director space chips, and orbiting satellites. eu/our-activities/global-support/global-land-cover-2000.html. Quanti- fying and mapping the human appropiation of net primary production Text y Production Photos courtesy of Yann Arthus-Bertrand from the book “Earth from Above 365 Days” published by Harry N. Abrams. www.yannarthus- in earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. H.Haberl, K.H. Erb, F. Krausman, V. Juan Alfonso Peña bertrand.org and www.goodplanet.org Gaube, E. Bondeau, C. Plutzar, S. Gingrich, W. Lucht, M. Fisher-K. 2007, www.pnas.org/content/104/31/12942/soppl/DC1. Contributing Editors Photos from Patricio Pillajo courtesy of Fundación Terra Climate change, scientific bases IPCC, 2001. Cambridge University Steven Goldfinger Cover photo: Charlevoix forest, Quebec Province, Canada. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Page 2.1: Color coded mineral and soil compossi- Press, UK. Pati Poblati Nuestra huella ecológica, Mathis Wackernagel and William Reese, 1996. Gloria Dávila tion of the moon, NASA. Page 2.2 Earth satellite composition, NASA. Page 3: biosphere, gemini 9, NASA. Page 4: Anvil over the pacific LOM Ediciones. Liliana Miranda Sea around us, Global database on marine fisheries and ecosystems ocean, ISS007,July 21, 2003 NASA. Page 6: Composition of satellite Mathis Wackernagel center. 2008, University of British Columbia. www.seaaroundus.org images, NASA. Page 7: Deforestation in Amazonia, Mato Grosso, Bra- United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. UN Comtrade. zil. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Page 12: intertropical convergence zone, Infographics 2008. UN. NY. http://comtrade.un.org NASA. Page 14: Internacional Space Station window, NASA. Page 15 Meredith Stechbart Country classification, Data and statistic division World Bank, 2008. Los Micos lagoon, San Pedro Sula region, Honduras. ©Yann Arthus- Juan Carcelen http://go.worldbank.org/K2CKM78CC0 Earth trends environmental in- Bertrand. Page 16: Helix Nebula, Splitzer Space Telescope. NASA. formation, World Resources Institute. 2007. http://earthtrends.wri.org Photography Page 18: Crowd in Abengourou, Ivory coast ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Toward a new sustainable economy, Robert Costanza, University of Yann Arthus-Bertrand Page 19.1: Plantation, Juan Alfonso Peña. 19.2: Ají, Juan Alfonso Vermont. 2009, real-world economics review, issue no. 49 https://docs. Patricio Pillajo Peña. 19.3: Tomatoes, Juan Alfonso Peña. 19.4: Corn. Juan Alfonso google.com/gview?a=v&attid=0.1&thid=1204aae476eb62b4&mt=applica Juan Alfonso Peña Peña. 19.5: Herbs, Juan Alfonso Peña. 19.6: Water, Patricio Pillajo. tion%2Fpdf NASA Page 20: Refuse dump in Mexico City, Mexico ©Yann Arthus-Ber- Living Planet Report. WWF, GFN, ZSL. 2008. trand. Page 23.1: Cattle-raising near Fukuyama (East of Hiroshima), For the common good. Redirecting the Economy toward Community, Additional Contribution Honshu, Japan. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. 23.2: Agricultural landsca- the Environment, and a Sustainable Future. Herman Daly-John B. Cobb. Susan Burns pe near Quito, Ecuador. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Page 24: Data Marc 1989. Jennifer Mitchel Imhoff, NASA GSFC & Christopher Elvidge of NOAA NGDC. Image The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civili- Aili Pyhala Craig Mayhew & Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC. Pag. 25: Images with- zation. Thomas Homer-Dixon. 2006 Martin Kaercher out clouds. Terra MODIS y Aqua MODIS, NASA. Oct. 2005. Page 27: The Ingenuity Gap, how can we solve the problems of the future. Thom- Tatjana Puschkarsky Floating wood down the Amazon, near the city of Manaus, Amazonas, as Homer-Dixon. 2000 Kristin Kane Brazil. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Page 28: Windmills of Banning Pass, An Ecological Footprint Approach to external debt relief. Mariano Torras. Anna Oursler near Palm Springs, California, United States. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. 2003. Adelphi University NY. Rachel Hodara Page 29: Freeway interchange near the port of Yokohama, Honshu, From production-based to consumption-based national emission inven- Japan. ©Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Inner back cover: High Andean forest, tories. Glen P. Peters. 2007 ww.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon Graphic design Ecuador. © Patricio Pillajo After the meltdown. David Korten. 2009. ww.davidkorten.org Daniela Arias Target atmospheric CO2: Where should humanity aim? James Hansen, Makiko Sato, Pushker Kharecha, David Beerling, Robert Berner, Valerie Printed Masson-Delmotte, Mark Pagani, Maureen Raymo, Dana L. Royer, James Imprenta Mariscal C. Zachos. The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, vol 2, 2008, Quito Ecuador August 2009

40 The Ecological Power of Nations