Ecological Footprint Analysis - Article Example

Further on the most popular methodologies of environmental impact measurement, such as the Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) and the Carbon Footprint are considered. The Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) first occurred in 1996 and was focused on measurements of consumed natural resources. This concept is defined in the following way: “the total area of biologically productive land and water required by an entity to sustain its current consumption levels” (Haque 2005). EFA is a helpful tool defining the magnitude of consumption.

Every nation has its own measurement of EFA. For example, Canadian footprint is 7.8 ha per capita (Schmidt 2002, p. N/A). Therefore, in average, every citizen of the planet consumes 2 hectares of earth. There are many benefits of EFA as the measurement method of ecological consumption. This measurement enables nations to develop patterns of consumption. Moreover, the EFA serves as a factor of sustainability influencing policy changes and practices. Nevertheless, there are also some drawbacks in EFA.

This measurement is a static and consumption is presented as a static phenomenon measured at a certain point of time. Each person can consume less goods and services and in such a way, it is not a realistic way to appropriate and consumption measurement of ecological resources. There are many factors missed in measurement of EFA, such as toxic waste production and assimilation, but much attention is paid only to environmental impact of the consumption. Very often EFA is beneficial, because it is very quick and does not require numerous attributes to the sample.

There are many impurities related to gas, crucible and accelerator. In average, carbon contribution to the carbon signal can be measured and calculated (York, 2009, p. N/A). There are numerous inconsistencies triggered by the levels of impurity and this affects a failure of exact measurements. The accuracy of determination is often questioned because of quick measuring methodologies. Basically, EFA refers to the amount of resources consumed by people, especially water and land. A Carbon Footprint is focused on greenhouse gases emission.

EFA contains greenhouse gas calculations. Both of these methods are focused on human activities’ impact on the ecology and the environment. Actually, there is an evident difference between these two methods, such as operational mode of methods. EFA looks like an accounting balance sheet of the global world. Minus side of the sheet is occupied by resource-consuming activities supporting human life, such as energy consumption, logging, construction, fishing or hunting and waste caused by those activities.

On the plus side there is the Earth's bio-capacity, i. e. the natural ability of the environment to replace the resources and consume the waste (Heddings and Wendy, 2009, p. N/A). Ecological footprints are focused on estimation of sea and forest areas, which absorb greenhouse gases. The strategy of carbon footprints measurements has been widely spread for a long period of time (Wheeler 2004, p. N/A). The areas of greenhouse gas waste are used for increasing awareness of the gas impact on climate change.

People contribute much to burn fossil fuels directly impacts an ecological footprint. More greenhouse gases require more sea and forest