ABSTRACT
Ecological footprint analysis answers the first question of human ecology: How much of Earth’s bio-capacity is dedicated to supporting any specified population at its average material standard of living? The method shows that global society’s aggregate eco-footprint is already effectively larger than the planet. Humanity is in ‘overshoot’, using ecosystem resources faster than they regenerate and filling waste sinks to over-flowing. We finance economic growth by liquidating nature. Sustainability with justice requires living more equitably within the means of nature. This implies a 50–80 per cent reduction in fossil energy and material consumption by mid to late century.
