%0 Journal Article %A WANG Yunping %A BIE Xueyan %T The Defect Analysis of the Ecological Footprint Method Measuring Sustainable Development %D 2009 %R 10.11820/dlkxjz.2009.03.015 %J PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY %P 424-428 %V 28 %N 3 %X

In recent years, many researchers and some international organizations have taken the Ecological Footprint method as a measure of sustainable development. But when it is used for measuring regional sustainable development, the results sometimes are inconsistent with the principle of sustainable development. Therefore, arguments have existed in the academic fields. Some of the recent studies indicate the Ecological Footprint method can not be taken as a measure of sustainable development, regional ecological deficit also can not indicate regional ecological overload, while the global ecological deficit can indicate global ecological overload; that is because the Ecological Footprint method has the defect of ecological deviation and denies trade rationality. This paper compared measure functions of the Ecological Footprint method with measure functions for measuring sustainable development and ecological sustainability, and drew some conclusions as follows: in regional and global scales, the Ecological Footprint method can be used as measure method of neither sustainable development nor ecological sustainability. Yet, ecological deficit can not indicate ecological overload not only because the Ecological Footprint method has a defect of ecological deviation and denies trade rationality, but also because it has a logical error of mistaking the conception of biological capacity. The conclusion can impulse the current research conclusion of the Ecological Footprint method further, which is useful for applying the Ecological Footprint method accurately.

%U https://www.progressingeography.com/EN/10.11820/dlkxjz.2009.03.015