Approaches to Evaluation - Evaluating Sustainable Development in the Built Environment - page 62

1.04

India

World
Average

4.68

8.6

Netherlands

Canada

11.18

USA

13.26

Acres per person 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Figure 3.2 The ecological footprint of countries. (Source: Wackernagel & Rees,
1995.)

two more earths. It is clear that this level of consumption would not be
sustainable if every one on earth were acting in this way. It would
require a major reduction in the earth's population just to allow this
kind of behaviour to continue if the wealth and lifestyle aspirations
of those in the Developing World are to be realised. Alternatively, the
developed world has to seek new ways of achieving its quality of life
without endangering the planet on which the activity takes place.
It would require a change in lifestyle that uses natural resources
without degrading or destroying the ability of the ecosystem to conti-
nue to provide those resources and services indefinitely (Wackernagel
et al ., 1993).
Imagine now looking not at the individual but at the impact of a new
building or development. What would it take to bring the building or
development into operational being and what would be the impact on
the ecosystem? This would include all the energy required for the
extraction of materials, the transportation of materials and labour, the
infrastructure for the construction process, the materials for the com-
ponents, the communication links, the water supply and so on. Then
you would have to consider the running and organisational costs of the
building and all the activities and heating/cooling, etc., that were
needed to meet the occupiers' demands. Finally, you would have to
consider the issues related to demolition and disposal as well as the
disposal of waste over the lifetime of the property. The ecological
impact could be vast.
In construction and building the notion of footprint is well under-
stood. This is the area of the planet's surface directly covered by