Question

According to the Living Planet Report, countries seem to be capable of having an acceptable 'human development index', or an acceptable 'ecological footprint', but not both. Illustrate this using a simple labeled graph, and describe the main factors that are used to assess the magnitude of these two indices for a given country. Also, describe the main factors that affect whether a country falls within the 'acceptable' values for these indices.

A) Graph: Balancing HDI and Ecological Footprint.
B) Factors: Economic development influencing HDI.
C) Factors: Resource consumption affecting Ecological Footprint.
D) Factors: Policy measures promoting sustainability.

Answer 1

To illustrate the relationship between a country's Human Development Index (HDI) and its ecological footprint, a graph would show an inverse relationship between the two. Economic development influences HDI, while consumption patterns affect the ecological footprint.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Living Planet Report suggests that countries struggle to simultaneously maintain a high Human Development Index (HDI) and a low ecological footprint. A simple graph to illustrate this would show HDI on one axis and ecological footprint on the other, demonstrating an inverse relationship where as HDI increases, ecological footprint also tends to rise. The HDI takes into account several factors such as life expectancy, education, and income levels.

Resource consumption is key in determining a country's ecological footprint. Practices that result in high consumption of resources, like the American lifestyle, require multiple planet Earths to sustain if adopted globally, highlighting the unsustainability of such consumption patterns.To attain acceptable values in both HDI and ecological footprint, policy measures are essential.