A modified method of ecological footprint calculation and its application |
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Institution: | 1. State key Laboratory of Arid Agroecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;2. Department of Mathematics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;1. Istanbul Technical University, Department of Management Engineering, Faculty of Management, Maçka, İstanbul 34367, Turkey;2. Istanbul Kemerburgaz University, Department of Economics , Mahmutbey Dilmenler Cad. No: 26, Bağcılar, İstanbul, Turkey |
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Abstract: | As economic and ecological support systems become more interdependent, new disciplines are needed to “bridge the gap” between human and nature. “Emergy” created by H.T. Odum is a new method for evaluating natural capital and ecosystem services. The “ecological footprint” created by Wackernagel and Rees has been promoted as a policy and planning tool for sustainability. The aim of this paper is to show a modified form of ecological footprint calculation by combining emergy analysis with conventional ecological footprint form of calculations. Our new method starts from the energy flows of a system in calculating ecological footprint and carrying capacity. Through a study of the energy flows, and using the method of emergy analysis, the energy flows of a system are translated into corresponding biological productive units. To demonstrate the mechanics of this new method, we compared our calculations with that of an original calculation of ecological footprint of a regional case. We select Gansu province in western China, as an example for application of our study. In this case the same conclusions were drawn using both methods: that Gansu province runs an ecological deficit. |
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