Mathis Wackernagel

Steppin' Out of Babylon: Radio Interviews

Mathis Wackernagel, Ph.D., is co-creator of the concept of the ecological footprint and Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network. He is also an author and/or contributor to over fifty peer-reviewed papers, numerous articles and reports, and various books on sustainability that focus on the question of embracing limits and developing metrics for sustainability including Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, Sharing Nature's Interest, and World Wildlife Fund's International's Living Planet Report. He previously served as the director of the Sustainability Program at Redefining Progress in Oakland, CA, and directed the Centre for Sustainability Studies /Centro de Estudios para la Sustentabilidad in Mexico, which he still advises. Wackernagel is also an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The goal of the Global Footprint Network is to advance the science of sustainability. It is an accounting tool that looks at how many ecologic resources we have and how much we use to feed ourselves, absorb our wastes, house our buildings, etc. Calculated in acres, it asks the question "How many biologically active acres does it take to produce what you personally consume or your country consumes?". This is then compared to how many resources are available in your country, region and the world. Doing this we can see to what extent we use resources within the limits of what the earth, or particular region can renew. The Global Footprint Network has a web-based "footprint calculator" for people figure their own personal footprint.In a world of ecological constraints, ecological efficiency becomes increasingly important. People need to understand the interconnected nature of our daily choices and behavior and begin to reduce their footprint and use resources more efficiently. Wackernagel provides a concise overview of how this concept of ecological assets and liabilities, along with efficient resource use, is beginning to change the way individuals, local communities and nations are now planning for the future. He calls for true honesty about our footprints and their implications, including the example of his own somewhat large footprint created by his global consultation and educational activities. His ultimate goal, and the Global Footprint Network's main mission, is to build bridges between government, business, NGO's and academia-- to have a common understanding and language of our planetary resource constraints and how to live within them.Recorded at the Ecocity World Summit in San Francisco, April 2008