Abstract
Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) is appealing as a metric of sustainability because it is straightforward in theory and easy to conceptualize. However, EFA is difficult to implement because it requires extensive data. A simplified approach to EFA that requires fewer data can serve as a perfunctory analysis allowing researchers to examine a system with relatively little cost and effort. We examined whether a simplified approach using freely available data could be applied to Puerto Rico, a densely populated island with limited land resources. Forty-one years of data were assembled to compute the ecological footprint from 1970 to 2010. According to EFA, individuals in Puerto Rico were moving toward sustainability over time, as the per capita ecological footprint decreased from 3.69 ha per capita (ha/ca) in 1970 to 3.05 ha/ca in 2010. However, due to population growth, the population’s footprint rose from 1.00 × 107 ha in 1970 to 1.14 × 107 ha in 2010, indicating Puerto Rico as a whole was moving away from sustainability. Our findings demonstrate the promise for conducting EFA using a simplified approach with freely available data, and we discuss potential limitations on data quality and availability that should be addressed to further improve the science.
Highlights
It is generally recognized that most of the developed world is using resources at a rate greater thanEarth’s ability to regenerate the resources [1]
In place of a comparison between Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) following Global Footprint Network (GFN) standards and the simplified approach, we restricted the analysis to only the simplified approach and attempted to limit the variables to data specific to the island
The ultimate goal of sustainability research is to improve the human condition, and a primary step in doing so is making available necessary data that can be used with confidence and accurately represent the state of the system
Summary
Many responsible stewards recognize the need for conscientious resource use to increase longevity of their environmental system, and, ideally, to become sustainable. These data often are difficult to obtain, can be questionable in terms of quality, or are not collected To address these challenges, Hopton and White [4] proposed a simplified approach to EFA based on freely and readily available data sets. Hopton and White [4] proposed a simplified approach to EFA based on freely and readily available data sets This simplified approach is appealing because it provides a relatively straightforward process that can guide stakeholders to components of their system that deserve attention to improve sustainability [4]. We consider the applicability of the simplified methodology as an initial assessment of sustainability that can be computed more readily than methodologies adhering to Global Footprint Network (GFN) standards
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