Final answer:
The ecological footprint takes into account the requirements of supporting an individual by measuring the amount of land and resources needed to fulfill their consumption and waste discharge needs. It provides a measure of how sustainable consumer lifestyles and behaviors are.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ecological footprint takes into account the requirements of supporting an individual by measuring the amount of land and resources needed to fulfill their consumption and waste discharge needs. It calculates the per capita consumption, production, and discharge needs of a population and uses land as the unit of measurement. The ecological footprint provides a measure of how sustainable consumer lifestyles and behaviors are.
For example, if the ecological footprint of the average American is 5.1 hectares per capita, it means that 5.1 hectares of productive land are needed to support their activities. If the current global population were to adopt American consumer lifestyles, we would need two additional planets to produce the necessary resources and absorb the resulting waste.