strategy
Assessing earth's carrying capacity
Synonyms:
Reviewing resource limits to growth Context:
All ecosystems and their sub-components have a certain capacity for alteration and for the absorption of pollution and stress before they lose their integrity and deteriorate into another state. If the limits of this capacity are not understood, human communities can quickly destroy the ability of the relevant system to sustainability provide the services upon which the community depends. History provides numerous examples of major cities (Carthage, Petra, 17th century Venice) that have collapsed as a result of depletion of the resource base or alternation of pre-existing ecosystems.Carrying capacities in human ecosystems cannot be entirely defined in biophysical terms. Carrying capacity reflects the level of damage to a system that a human community is willing to accept based upon the amount of services or resources that a community requires from the system, and the point at which damage makes the system unable to met these requirements.
Carrying capacities can sometimes be increased through small changes in human processes that provide for the efficient use of materials, energy and nutrients throughout the ecosystem or one of its sub-systems.
Implementation:
Local governments must begin to respect the principle of carrying capacity by defining carrying capacity; that is, by determining the community's willingness to accept deterioration of environmental services. Once this capacity is defined, municipal governments need to establish standards, indicators, and monitoring programs to warn the community is the limits of carrying capacity are being reached. Broader:
Applying science sustainablyMonitoring global environmentLiving within earth's carrying capacityReporting on global environmental status Narrower:
Mapping earth resourcesDeveloping environmental feedback mechanismsDeveloping sustainability indicators for land resourcesAssessing small island carrying capacity and development optionsAssessing national population carrying capacity and impact on key resources Facilitates:
Sustaining growthExpanding limits to growthManaging natural resourcesDeveloping scenarios for population growthFacilitating collection of geophysical dataStudying human dimensions of environmental changeEstablishing official support for population controlManaging fragile ecosystems Facilitated by:
Developing an integrated global observing strategy Problems:
Irreversible environmental trends References:
Meadows, D H, et al: The Limits to Growth: a report for the Club of Rome's project on the Predicament of MankindThe Ecologist: Too Many For Whom ?Pestel, Eduard: Beyond the Limits to Growth: a report to the Club of RomeBrown, Lester and Kan, Hal: Full House: reassessing the earth's population carrying capacity Subjects:
Earth → Earth Resources → Resources
Biosciences → Growth
Commerce → Assessment
Societal Problems → Restrictions
Type Classification:
F: Exceptional strategies Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
