The global ecological footprint is a measure to describe how much land and water area a unit of society (individual, nation, company) use in order to produce the resources it needs and absorb the waste it generates. The footprint is calculated by converting resources like fisheries, forests, energy etc into hectares of land and water. It is estimated that we’ve been using more than we have since at least the mid 80s. This can be described in many ways, for example, that we are using 1.3 planets rather than the one we have available, or that it now takes about 1.4 years for the planet to regenerate what we use up in a year.
Learn more at Global Footprint Network.
Tellus Tribe 
It feels as if we are emerging from an old crumbling system into a new way of existing symbiotically, synergestically and therefore successfully on this earth.
Interesting the comment about unfair exchange. Based on monetary values assigned we define unfair.
I recently saw an ad in a cooperative store in Atlanta offering car mechanic services for anything but money. It actually said I’ll take stuff, food services…and I know the offer I can’t refuse.
A dual benefit. The energy exchangers decide what is valuable to them, and the system cannot take it’s cut… Instead the cut comes from the energy put back into the system by the satisfied and fulfilled people doing the work they love to do.
Fair exchange is what is valuable to one feels right exchange for what value they offer.
A person who does great massage and currently charges $80 an hour might be very content to exchange 1 hour of massage for the results of an hour of work on a farm – a box of vegetables.
But currently the hour’s work on a farm is considered to be of less value in ‘money energy’ than the massage.
When we can reach inside and know what is currently of value and need to our unique situation, we will be able to let go of comparison based on current day assigned values and free ourselves from a destructive system.
Way cool…
Love your blog, love your ideas, love the style..
thank you
By: Sunny on December 4, 2009
at 6:59 pm
Thanks Sunny 🙂
By: KabeCicero on December 30, 2009
at 11:24 pm