Population, Grain, Windmills...

Twelve Ways to Tell if the Earth is Healthy

by Earth Policy Institute

How can people know if the Earth is healthy? Following are 12 ways to measure whether the Earth is making progress in building an eco-economy--one that respects the principles of ecology.

Population. Today humans are so numerous and leave such a large ecological footprint that we threaten the existence of the millions of other species with which we share the planet. When assessing the adequacy of basic resources such as land and water, population is the universal denominator, shrinking per capita availability as it expands.

Economic Growth. The size of the economy is the best single measure of the mounting pressure on the earth's environment. It combines the effects of both population growth and rising individual consumption, showing how much the pressure is increasing.

World Fish Catch. The fish catch measures the productivity and health of the oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface. The extent to which world demand for seafood is outrunning the sustainable yield of fisheries can be seen in shrinking fishery stocks, declining catches and collapsing fisheries.

Forest Cover. This is one of the best single indicators of changes in land use. Shrinking forest cover shows we are cutting more trees than we are planting. This means not only that the forest's capacity to supply products is diminished, but also that its capacity to provide services such as flood control, soil protection and the purification of water, are also reduced.

Carbon Emissions. As the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increases, so does the Earth's temperature. Are we leaving future generations a stable climate or one with searing heat waves, more destructive storms, melting glaciers and rising sea level--accompanied by millions of climate refugees?

Grain Production. This is the best indicator of the adequacy of the food supply. On average, half of all the calories we consume come directly from grain and a large part of the remainder come from the indirect consumption of grain in the form of meat, milk, eggs and farmed fish. Increased production of grains reflects population growth and rising affluence with its associated rise in consumption of grain-fed livestock products.

Water Scarcity. This may be the most underrated resource issue the world is facing today. Because water was relatively abundant throughout most of our existence, we came to take it for granted. Now water tables are falling in scores of countries. The data show that these individual countries and indeed the entire world soon will be facing "water shocks" as aquifers are depleted and the water supply is abruptly reduced.

Global Temperature. Just as taking our own body temperature is one of the best measures of our health, so temperature is also a measure of how well we are taking care of the Earth. For the first time in human history, our actions are linked to changes in the global temperature. Ice Melting. This is one of the most sensitive and visible effects of rising temperature. Of all the indicators of rising temperatures, none is so visible as the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Since so much of the world's water is stored in ice on land, its melting raises the sea level, threatening to engulf the land where millions of people live.

Wind Electric Generating Capacity. Advances in wind turbine design have set the stage for wind power to become the foundation of the new energy economy. Because it is abundant, cheap, inexhaustible and clean, wind energy is now growing by leaps and bounds. Examining the rate at which wind generating capacity is expanding compared with fossil fuels gives us a sense of how fast the eco-economy is unfolding.

Bicycle Production. Annual sales are more than double those of automobiles. Their sales also measure our ability to reduce traffic congestion, lower air pollution, increase mobility, and provide exercise--a counter to the obesity that is now engulfing urban populations everywhere.

Solar Cell Production. On the falling cost curve, solar cells are several years behind wind. Solar cell sales in 2001 of nearly 400 megawatts of generating capacity represent the largest annual sales to date, but still this is the equivalent of the output of only a single power plant. The promise lies in the future, where--as the cost continues to fall--production will begin to jump. At least one major manufacturer is planning a doubling of production this year.

For details on the 12 indicators, check out The Earth Policy Reader, published by Earth Policy Institute. To order a copy: www.earth-policy.org/Books/index.htm ; (202).496.9290 x 13, www.earth-policy.org. The above article is reprinted with permission.

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