By Martin Halle - Global Footprint Network – April, 2013
Humanity’s growing consumption of natural resources and ecological services is testing our planetary boundaries. Total human consumption of renewable natural resources and services is already one and a half times greater than the capacity of the biosphere to supply them. In other words, it takes the planet 18 months to generate the food, fibre, timber products, and carbon sequestration services that are consumed in one year.
Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose. The movement includes both non-profits that use business models to pursue their mission and for-profits whose primary purposes are social. They aim to accomplish targets that are social and or environmental as well as financial. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose remains central to their operation.
The Max Havelaar label, the world's first Fairtrade Certification Mark, was officially launched in November 1988, through the efforts of Nico Roozen, Frans van der Hoff and Dutch ecumenical development agency Solidaridad.
The importance of mangroves in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in the Oceania region cannot be overestimated, but they are under threat from coastal development, population dynamics and increasing demand for resources. It is anticipated that sea-level rise and flooding resulting from climate change will make things worse for vulnerable coastal areas and communities.
Xeros have developed a new washing machine which cleans clothes with beads and a tiny amount of water. The net saving in water, detergent and electricity could result in a 30% cost saving for the user. The water-less process uses 3mm-long nylon beads that get into all the crevices of clothing and can also be re-used hundreds of times.
The Working for Water programme of the South African Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has cleared more than one million hectares of invasive alien plants providing jobs and training for about 30,000 people per annum, of whom 52% are women. South Africa is a water scarce country and invasive plants pose a direct threat to biological diversity and water security.
The Aakash Ganga (River from the Sky) initiative was developed to alleviate the perennial scarcity of drinking water, by harvesting domestic rainwater. The project channels rooftop rainwater from every house in a village, through gutters and pipes, to a network of multi-tier underground reservoirs.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC is a certification system that provides internationally recognized standard-setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations, and communities interested in responsible forestry.
