Is Technology the Answer to the Disequilibrium between Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint?

Environment & Natural Resource Management Press Note

The 2012 WWF Living Planet Report presents alarming data on Global Ecological Overshoot which reached 50% deficit in 2008. This means that Humanity’s Ecological Footprint (necessary area to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates) exceeds in 50% Earth’s Biocapacity (nature’s capacity to produce resources and absorb waste generated by humans). This imbalance leads to Earth’s natural capital depletion and waste accumulation, which includes CO2 in the atmosphere.

Many people minimize the significance of this data because they rely on technology to reestablish the equilibrium in our ecological accounts. In fact, technology plays an important role in both improving biocapacity and reducing Ecological Footprint. However, it has not been enough to compensate for the increasing demand of world’s growing population.

Technology has been successful in enhancing productivity in the agricultural sector, raising biocapacity. On the other hand, energy-intensive agriculture and heavy reliance on fertilizers involved augmented inputs and caused higher CO2 emissions. Technology has also made manufacturing less input demanding, decreasing pollution and waste disposals in several industries. However, it was far from the necessary to offset the consumption boost due to a higher population with an expanding purchasing power. The same process occurred with the development of renewable energy production. As a result, despite many technological advances during the period, ecological overshoot has been continuously growing since the 1970s.

So, if we can’t rely on technology, what can we rely on?

The reality is that the only single factor capable of balancing the disequilibrium between biocapacity and ecological footprint is the same one that caused this imbalance: humanity. Only by producing better and consuming more wisely is that humanity will be able to preserve natural capital. Only by making better choices from a “one planet perspective” it will be possible to achieve ecosystem integrity, biodiversity conservation, and food, water and energy security for all.

We must be reliable. We must be responsible. We must be sustainable.

Comments Off on Is Technology the Answer to the Disequilibrium between Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint? / 27 Jan 2013 por Andrea Mara Hanai
IMSD /

ENRM: Is Climate Change Really So Bad? — The State of Our Shared Planet

The following entry is a press note based on WWF’s Living Planet Report 2012: Biodiversity, Biocapacity, and Better Choices, which outlines the current state of our planet’s environmental and natural resources, the anthropogenic activity that has negatively affected biocapacity, and the recommended choices we can make as citizens, societies, businesses, and governments to build a better planet. This press note is directed at the general public.

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IS CLIMATE CHANGE REALLY SO BAD?: THE STATE OF OUR SHARED PLANET

27 January 2013

Climate change activists, scientists, naturalists, preservationists, ecologists, and biologists alike have been calling for a reconsideration of our entire global system of production and consumption. They advocate for more equitable resource use and lifestyle changes to support our planet’s long-term survival (and therefore, our longevity as a human race). The opposing mainstream doctrine — led by self-serving, short-sighted “business-as-usual” corporations and governments — often downplays the severity of our anthropogenic impact on the environment. But, just how severe is the situation? And how much longer do we have before we really have to worry? The World Wildlife Foundation’s recent Living Planet Report provides some key insights — and [spoiler alert] — you should already be worrying.

Here are the facts: we are using 50% more resources than the Earth can provide. Our population has more than doubled since 1950 and is forecasted to reach just over 9.3 billion in 2050. There has been a 30% decline in biodiversity health (essential to the planet’s self-maintanence of our precious global ecosystem). Our essential resource for life — water — is declining across global terrestrial, freshwater, and marine indices, with the freshwater index declining the most (by 37%) since 1970.

The bottom line: The way we are living is undeniably unsustainable. Increased consumption, our reliance on fossil fuels, overpopulation, and the careless, poor, and often neglectful “management” of our environmental resources are some of the major contributors to this inescapable reality.

How does the report arrive at this conclusion? Quite simply, we are overconsuming our planet’s natural resources before they can naturally regenerate. This is calculated by measuring the relationship between biocapacity and ecological footprint. Biocapacity is “nature’s capacity to produce renewable resources, provide land for built-up areas, and provide waste absorption services such as carbon uptake” (p. 10). Ecological footprint is the sum of the effects of anthropogenic (human) activity on carbon production, cropland consumption, forest depletion, grazing land consumption, built-up land construction, and fishing grounds reduction.

The relationship between biocapacity and ecological footprint therefore indicates an “ecological overshoot” between environmental capacity and human consumption. For example, it would take 1.5 years to generate the renewable resources used in the year 2008 — indicating a startling 50% overusage of natural resources. If this trend persists at the current rate, we would need the resources of more than two planets in order to meet our consumption needs in 2030.

For my fellow Americans — if the rest of the global population lived at the consumption rate that we do, we would require the resources of four Earths in order to regenerate the resources needed for our demands.

This report underscores the realities of our consumption and the consequential health of our single, shared planet. The general public must promote education and awareness of these critical realities that will undoubtedly affect the lives of our children and our grandchildren. We must use our consumer power, our voting power, and our daily choices to reverse this “business-as-usual” approach, thereby building a better planet and ensuring the survival of our human family.

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World Wildlife Foundation 2012, Living Planet Report 2012: Biodiversity, Biocapacity, and Better Choices.

Comments Off on ENRM: Is Climate Change Really So Bad? — The State of Our Shared Planet / 27 Jan 2013 por Kelly Elizabeth Behrend
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ENRM: Course Slogans

In our Environmental and Natural Resources Management course, we traced the history between biocapacity and human consumption by exploring the historical trends, modern challenges, and future opportunities. Here is a summary of what we discussed:

From iPad to IPAT: How Your Purchases Affect the Planet | Session 1 (Jan 10)

IPAT (I = P x A x T) is a formula used to describe the impact of human activity on the environment, where I = Human Impact, P = Population, A = Affluence, and T = Technology. This describes how exponential growth in population, affluence, and technology come together to contribute to anthropogenic environmental damage. Some food for thought: what is the environmental impact of your lifestyle? Do you know where your iPad really comes from?

The Beauty and the Beasts of Biodiversity | Session 2 (Jan 24)

Biodiversity not only gives our planet its color, vibrance, and beauty — but it also is an essential, expansive set of interconnected ecosystems and habitats that provide the appropriate resources to support life on Earth. Who are the beasts working against this natural process? Often, it’s humanity itself.

Keeping it Natural: Why Conservation of Natural Resources is Critical to Our Survival | Session 3 (Jan 24)

Biodiversity extends beyond animal and plant species to incorporate natural resources such as water, air, and soil. These natural resources will deplete if not protected, thereby threatening the life cycle of Earth and breaking down the essential building blocks required for life.

POPs = Persistent Odious Pollution? | Session 4 (Jan 25)

The pollution our planet faces as a result of ignorant — even odious — human processes is deplorable and inexcusable. As our human family began to learn how traditional fossil fuels and chemical pesticides used in industry and agriculture are damaging to the environment, we made some initial important changes. However, the true battle against pollution has slowed — giving way to more greenhouse gases and emergency situations such as oil spills. The data exists, but we ignore its impacts and sacrifice long-term energy and environmental security for short-term economic benefit.

Humans and Their Habitat: Conscious Self-Destruction? | Session 5 (Jan 25)

If humans are arguably the only species with advanced reasoning, consciousness, language and communication — and if our habitat is clearly depleting due to our own human actions — does this mean we are engaging in conscious self-destruction? The resistance to address environmental and natural resources management may therefore be the most unnatural behavior a species could possibly engage in. Are we rejecting our own biological reality?

Certifying Sustainability: Is It Possible? | Session 6 (Jan 25)

With the myriad of certification systems and auditing recommendations that exist throughout environmental and natural resources management, which systems are best? What gaps may they have? How do corporations use these certifications to support their business activity? Perhaps most importantly, how can we work together to ensure that certifications are not just paperwork, but can be transformed into practice?

1 comentario / 27 Jan 2013 por Kelly Elizabeth Behrend
IMSD /

NRM: Marine biodiversity as an unknown and threatened world

Comments Off on NRM: Marine biodiversity as an unknown and threatened world / 26 Jan 2013 por Stephanie Barrial
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Environment & Natural Resource Management Headlines

I present here the headlines that I believe characterize the Environment & Natural Resource Management sessions:

Session 1 (Jan, 10th)

When it Comes to Ecosystems, 1 + 1 > 2.

This headline represents the challenge of understanding the Environment which is essential to protect it. Environment can be defined as the summation of Ecosystems which are formed by intrinsic (biotic) and extrinsic (abiotic) factors. The combination and interaction of these two factors create a whole new range of characteristics which are much more than the sum of the factors. Isn’t it fascinating? And challenging?

Session 2 (Jan, 24th)

Biodiversity Makes Ecosystems More Resilient.

Resilience is the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a perturbation or disturbance by resisting damage and recovering quickly. Consequently, the loss of species not only means a disaster itself but also has devastating effects in the ecosystem and, as a result, in the environment.

Session 3 (Jan, 24th)

We May Be Responsible, But Are We Sustainable?

Food for thought: human life is relatively recent on earth. So how can humans be able to compare or analyze processes that took millions of years to be completed in nature and decide if an interference in these processes is sustainable or not? This philosophical question intrigues me.

Session 4 (Jan, 25th)

By Biomagnification Humans Receive Pollutants Back.

Humans emit many types of pollutants to the environment, contaminating it. Different organisms in the food chain can absorb these pollutants which ‘bioaccumulate‘ in them. Biomagnification occurs when organisms in higher levels of the food chain absorb the bioaccumulated pollutants by ingesting organisms from the lower levels. Top predators at the food chain (humans are at the top of many food chains) suffer more from biomagnification.

Session 5 (Jan, 25th)

Put People First And Empower Them

The loss of biodiversity deeply affects a large portion of the poorest people as they often depend directly on the natural resources from which they obtain their livelihood. Consequently, sustainable development must take into consideration these people’s needs and be able to build their capacities so they can make a better use of the ecosystem services on which they rely.

Session 6 (Jan, 25th)

A Credible Certification System Involves All Stakeholders

To conclude, a certification system recognition is directly proportional to the level of stakeholder involvement in its establishment process.

Comments Off on Environment & Natural Resource Management Headlines / 26 Jan 2013 por Andrea Mara Hanai
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Press Note WWF Living Planet Report

9 BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, MILLIONS OF EMISSIONS AND ONE PLANET.

WWF Living Planet Report 2012 calls on governments, private sector and individuals to make better choices for a better future. Will one planet be enough?

(Target: general public)

Madrid, February 25, 2012. The WWF Living Planet Report 2012 is a warning on the high pressure human impact is putting on the earth. The report highlights the increase of the Ecological Footprint, the impact on the Biodiversity preservation, the Ecosystem loss and tries to answer the question:

“Can we create a better future that provides food, water and energy to 9 billion people living in a currently overexploited planet?”

According to the National Research Council (2011) “The world is entering a new geologic epoch, sometimes called, anthropocene, in which human activities will largely control the evolution of earth’s environment”.

The report highlights the main issues affecting the planet:

30% of global decline in biodiversity health in the last 40 years
Footprint exceeding the Earth’s bio capacity
Millions of hectares of land under sales negotiations for securing future food production
2010 emissions of CO2 risen to the highest level in history

A big pressure on the earth that is already over exploited. Can we do something to live in a better future and in harmony with the nature?

According to WWF perspective, the answer is in our hands.

We have different choices of consuming, investing, producing, it is just a matter of making better choices.

Source: WWF Living Planet Report 2012

Natural capital therefore must be preserved. How? Protecting land, marine areas and water reserves necessary for food and energy services. Implementing new mechanism for climate adaptation and mitigation. Preserving the forest and restoring ecosystems.

Another better choice regards the production. Having a more efficient production systems with sustainability at any level, would mean a decrease of the demand of water, land and energy and a massive reduction of waste. Renewable energy, recycling and recovery could also improve the production system with positive impact on the resource management and in the ecological footprint.

A wiser consume could have a positive impact on climate change, water availability and biodiversity. Red meat and dairy consumption should decrease in the developed countries in order to have a more healthy global diet also in the developing ones.

A responsible investment plays a key role in such a context. According to the IFC (World Bank Group branch) companies investing on environment and social aspects have an 11% higher return.

The cooperation of governments, food industry, health and education institutions is essential in this possible transformation process aimed to have an equitable resource governance.

New economic policies that include social and environmental indices should be implemented soon as well as universal access to education, empowerment of women and a better health service.

As the Director of WWF International, Jim Leape, reminds us: ”we all need to play a role in keeping this a living planet”.

WWF is the international organization focused in wildlife conservation and endangered species.

Comments Off on Press Note WWF Living Planet Report / 23 Jan 2013 por Veronica Recanati
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Social entrepreneurship & “tejeREDES”

Last Saturday I took part in a very interesting and useful workshop that took place in the coworking Opinno space and organized by tejeREDES in collaboration with Somos Mas.

tejeREDES is a social organization founded in 2009 aimed to boost creativity and innovation through communities and social grids in order to have a positive social impact.

The workshop (Circo) is an itinerant collaboration framework aimed to connect social entrepreneurs, companies and NGOs in order to enhance new ways of collaboration and new way of co-working and co-creating.

Through very funny practical exercises we evaluated and then discussed the importance of several aspects in the communication and negotiations processes, like the role of body, of the language, the importance of the emotions, the history behind a person or a project, the persuasive or seductive phase and the silence, always needed to reflect, think and evaluate.

We applied social innovation technical tools, we build new collaborative networks and hopefully new professional relationships will start soon between the social entrepreneurs who shared their practical experiences, dreams and projects.

A different Saturday and an innovative way of learning!

Thanks tejeREDES!

Here a short video about our day.

Comments Off on Social entrepreneurship & “tejeREDES” / 22 Jan 2013 por Veronica Recanati
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A new project about innovation, social entrepreneurship and sustainable development!

Sustainable development is about climate change, equity, human development, capability as a freedom (A. Sen theory) and, as Robert Chamber said, it is a change for good.

I am committed to give my contribution and I feel I could do more for our world, at least I wanna try! :p

What is social entrepreneurship?

According to wikipedia the definition is “identifying or recognizing a social problem and using entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a social venture to achieve a desired social change”.

And what is a social entrepreneur?

According to Ashoka, a nonprofit organization based in USA, that supports social entrepreneurs through social venture capital, a social entrepreneur is “an individual with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.”

Actually more than a definition social entrepreneurship could be the answer.

Social entrepreneurship could be the chance of changing some ineffective processes that are stuck and are not useful anymore, could be the opportunity to overcome to the current crisis, could be the opportunity to create new way of business based on collaboration, co-working, co-creation, co-operation. Could be the way to integrate sustainability into the business processes and not only into a nice CSR plan, that most of the times has the unique aim to clean a brand or to improve the customer perception.

I personally see social entrepreneurship like a bridge that connects several stakeholders and potential partners to the civil society and sectors that need to be empowered.

On one hand the private sector needs to show its commitment regarding many social aspects and in order to show its participation, commitment and action needs to collaborate with the government, the civil society and the third sector.

On the other hand the third sector parties need to engage private companies in order to get investments and financing for their educational and social projects, while showing governance, accountability and transparency.

Unfortunately these two worlds are still too far, they speak different languages, have different priorities and timing and an effective and long term relationship is still missing between them.

Maggie Black, a specialist in international development issues and author of the book The No-nonsense guide to International Development, writes:

“The economy in which the donors operate and the economy in which the poorest people live are so far that they barely interconnect. Bridges are needed to cross the gap.”

Therefore bridges are needed and necessary. There are the good tools, the investments and the possibility to get to a more sustainable world, but there are frontiers that slow down the process.

How to solve these issues then? As I said at the beginning I wanna try to give my contribution and I am working on a new project..

Bridge for good is a new social entrepreneurship project aimed to overcome to the current issues that affect the development fields. It is a platform that will connect companies and foundations to the right social project. It is a group of passionate and young people willing to apply the international professional experience acquired while working with private companies and the knowledge about the sustainable development area, in a real, open and useful project.

Bridge for good is a Bridge aimed to change the world for good!

Bridge for good will be launched soon, in the meantime for more info on the project, input, ideas, way of financing… you can send an email to: bridgeforgood@gmail.com.

You can also follow Bridge for good on Twitter: @BridgeForGood and on Facebook:

“I JUST HAVE SOMETHING INSIDE ME THAT TELLS ME THERE IS A PROBLEM AND I MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, SO I AM DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT” (WANGARI MAATHAI)

3 comentarios / 21 Jan 2013 por Veronica Recanati
IMSD /

Marketing: Nature Lovers Tour Madrid’s Prototype

Nature Lovers Tour was conceived during my Innovation classes. The idea is to design and offer a specialized tour in Madrid to explore city’s nature. Visiting green areas, parks, etc., tourists would be amazed by Madrid’s biodiversity.

The idea is based on the fact that over 6 million people visit Madrid every year and many of them would like to have a different view of the city apart from its history, culture or nightlife. In addition, people who didn’t think of Madrid as a destination for nature observation could come to the city, benefitting local tourism industry.

The most important benefit of the tour, though, is people’s education which is the base to preservation.

So, for my Marketing classes I decided to use my videoblog as a preview of Nature Lovers Tour.

Hope you like it!!

Comments Off on Marketing: Nature Lovers Tour Madrid’s Prototype / 21 Jan 2013 por Andrea Mara Hanai
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