State of the Art in Ecological Footprint Theory and Applications
Footprint Forum: The Opportunity of Limits. Colle Val d’Elsa, 7-11 June 2010
Global Footprint Network is calling for abstracts for presentation at Footprint Forum: The Opportunity of Limits to be held June 7-11, 2010, in Colle di Val d’Elsa, Italy, just outside of Siena, Italy. Submissions are welcome on a range of issues and disciplines related to the Ecological Footprint (i.e., carbon, trade, and biodiversity and water). Nine abstracts will be selected in total – three to be presented at each of the Forum’s three 75-minute sessions. If your abstract is selected, you will have the opportunity to speak at the session for up to 15 minutes, followed by at least 10 minutes of discussion. In addition, a special issue of Ecological Indicators will include extended versions of a selection of papers presented at Footprint Forum.
About Footprint Forum:
As our financial systems and our relationship with the natural world are being re-examined, our work at Global Footprint Network grows increasingly crucial. Now, more than ever, there is a need for innovative, breakthrough ideas – and our upcoming Forum will be designed to stimulate just that. Members of our partner network, selected thought leaders and influencers will gather from around the world to participate in this intimate and interactive event held in Colle di Val d’Elsa. Together, they will learn, share and create solutions as they tackle the most pressing issues humanity is facing, and take action toward creating a world where we can all live within the means of our planet.
Learn more about Footprint Forum.
Details of Submission:
Proposed topics should focus on NEW developments on the Ecological Footprint in areas of:
1. Theory;
2. Applications; or
3. Communication/policy relevance.
All submissions must be a two-page abstract, and include an introduction, summary of methods and results, and a discussion section.
Click here to download the template.
Click here to download the abstract submission format and guidelines
Note: If your abstract is not selected, you will have the option of having it presented as a poster at the Forum.
Email submissions to footprintforum2009@unisi.it
The Ecological Footprint Standards Committee is inviting public comment on its proposed 2009 Ecological Footprint Standards. The standards are designed to ensure that Ecological Footprint assessments are produced consistently and according to community-proposed best-practices. These new methodological standards focus on Ecological Footprint studies for organizations and products. They were created over the past six months by the Ecological Footprint Standards Committee and the Standards Working Group.
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At the current rate humanity is using natural resources and producing waste, by the mid-2030s we will require the resources of two planets to meet our demands, according to figures released today by Global Footprint Network. The data comes at a critical time, as the economic crisis felt around the globe has made it painstakingly clear: Debt and overspending can continue for a while but ultimately have dire consequences.
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GDP is the most recognized indicator in the world, but a country’s high GDP does not always mean that its people are doing well. This is the reason that over 500 high-level economic, social and environmental experts met at the historic Beyond GDP International Conference in Brussels in late November. The European Commission, European Parliament, Club of Rome, OECD and WWF hosted this high-level conference with the objectives of clarifying which indices are most appropriate to measure progress, and how these can best be integrated into the decision-making process and taken up by public debate. The Ecological Footprint was featured as a central alternative to the GDP at the conference, most notably in a keynote address by WWF’s President and former minister of Nigeria, Emeka Anyaoku.
Carbon dioxide is emitted whenever human activities involve the burning of fossil fuels. This waste will accumulate in the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change, unless it can be captured and stored by plants. The carbon Footprint therefore measures the demand on biocapacity that results from burning fossil fuels in terms of the amount of forest area required to sequester these carbon dioxide emissions. Note that this does not suggest planting forests is the ‘solution’ to climate change; on the contrary, it shows that the biosphere does not have sufficient capacity to sequester all the carbon we are currently emitting.
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