The concept of ecological footprinting has been challenged on several grounds. First, many factors of the calculations are based on crude estimates and it is questioned whether the numbers are applicable to other places (the method is biased to Northern Hemisphere lifestyles). Second, the model generally does not count multiple uses of land: a forest is a carbon sink and the same area is not counted for food production. Third, at the household level, the model is biased in favor of households with more children and against, for instance, sin ...

See also:

Ecological footprint, Ecological footprint - Ecological footprint analysis, Ecological footprint - Changing consumption patterns, Ecological footprint - Criticisms

Read more here: » Ecological footprint: Encyclopedia II - Ecological footprint - Criticisms

See also:

Ecological footprint, Ecological footprint - Ecological footprint analysis, Ecological footprint - Changing consumption patterns, Ecological footprint - Criticisms

Read more here: » Ecological footprint: Encyclopedia II - Ecological footprint - Changing consumption patterns

The word wilderness is derived from the notion of wildness, in other words that which is not controllable by humans. The word's etymology is from the Old English wildeornes, which in turn derives from wildeor meaning wild beast (wild + deor = beast, deer) (The Collins English Dictionary, 2000). From this point of view, it is the wildness of a place that makes it a wilderness. The mere presence or activity of people does not disqualify an area from wilderness status. Many wilderness areas have historically b ...

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Wilderness, Wilderness - Definition, Wilderness - History, Wilderness - Accessibility

Read more here: » Wilderness: Encyclopedia II - Wilderness - Definition

Balance of trade figures, also called net exports (NX), are the sum of the money gained by a given economy by selling exports, minus the cost of buying imports. They form part of the balance of payments, which also includes other transactions such as the international investment position. The figures are usually split into visible and invisible balance figures. The visible balance represents the physical goods, and invisible rep ...

Including:

• Balance of trade - Economic Impact of Balance of Trade
• Balance of trade - Popular myths about trade deficits
• Balance of trade - Debate about the American trade deficit
• Balance of trade - Physical trade balance

Read more here: » Balance of trade: Encyclopedia - Balance of trade

For most of human history, the greater part of the Earth's terrain was wilderness, and human attention was concentrated in settled areas. However, during the 19th century it became clear that in many countries wild areas had either disappeared or were in danger of disappearing. This realisation gave rise to the conservation movement in the USA, partly through the efforts of writers and activists such as John Burroughs and John Muir, and politicians su ...

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Wilderness, Wilderness - Definition, Wilderness - History, Wilderness - Accessibility

Read more here: » Wilderness: Encyclopedia II - Wilderness - History

William Rees received his PhD in population ecology from the University of Toronto. He founded SCARP’s ‘"Environment and Resource Planning" concentration and from 1994 to 1999 served as director of the School. Rees’ book on ecological footprint analysis, Our Ecological Footprint (co-authored with then PhD student Dr Mathis Wackernagel) was published in 1996 and is now available in English, Chinese, French, G ...

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William Rees, William Rees - Biographical information, William Rees - Academic policy and research interests, William Rees - Philosophy, William Rees - Awards and honours

Read more here: » William Rees: Encyclopedia II - William Rees - Biographical information

If the balance of trade is positive, then an economy exported more than it had imported. This may appear to be a good thing but may not always be so. An example of an economy in which a positive balance of payments is generally regarded as a bad thing is Japan in the 1990s. Because Japan had a consistently positive balance of payments, it had more currency than it could effectively invest, and it was reluctant to also offer full access to its own markets. This led to huge Japanese overseas purchases of items such as real estate, which were o ...

See also:

Balance of trade, Balance of trade - Economic Impact of Balance of Trade, Balance of trade - Popular myths about trade deficits, Balance of trade - Debate about the American trade deficit, Balance of trade - Physical trade balance

Read more here: » Balance of trade: Encyclopedia II - Balance of trade - Economic Impact of Balance of Trade

The US Environmental Protection Agency pioneered the use of pathway analysis to determine the likely human health impact of environmental ills. It and The Natural Step definitions later became the basis of the global ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards and the more recent ISO 19011 accounting standard. After an EIA analysis, the Precautionary Principle and Polluter Pays may be applied to prevent, limit, or require strict liability or insurance coverages to a project, based on its likely harms. Environmental impact analysis is often controversial and rarely uncontested. Related analys ...

See also:

Environmental impact assessment, Environmental impact assessment - Overview, Environmental impact assessment - EIA around the world, Environmental impact assessment - EU, Environmental impact assessment - New Zealand, Environmental impact assessment - United States

Read more here: » Environmental impact assessment: Encyclopedia II - Environmental impact assessment - Overview

Environmental impact assessment - EU. The EIA Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment of the effects of projects on the environment was introduced in 1985 and was amended in 1997. The directive was amended again in 2003 following the 1998 signature by the EU of the Aarhus Convention on public participation in environmental matters. The issue was enlarged to the assessment of plans and programmes by the so called SEA-Directive in 2001 which is now in force. ...

See also:

Environmental impact assessment, Environmental impact assessment - Overview, Environmental impact assessment - EIA around the world, Environmental impact assessment - EU, Environmental impact assessment - New Zealand, Environmental impact assessment - United States

Read more here: » Environmental impact assessment: Encyclopedia II - Environmental impact assessment - EIA around the world

Microeconomists do not believe that trade deficits are inherently good or bad. They do believe that trade deficits are generally harmful when countries engage in currency controls such as fixed or pegged exchange rates. They argue that fixed exchange rates do not allow the market to naturally correct any current account “problems”. Milton Friedman believes that much of the fears of trade deficits are unfair criticisms in an attempt to push macroeconomic policies favorable to export industries. He states that these deficits are not ...

See also:

Balance of trade, Balance of trade - Economic impact of balance of trade, Balance of trade - Popular myths about trade deficits, Balance of trade - Debate about the United States trade deficit, Balance of trade - Physical trade balance

Read more here: » Balance of trade: Encyclopedia II - Balance of trade - Popular myths about trade deficits

If the balance of trade is positive, then an economy exported more than it had imported. This may appear to be a good thing but may not always be so. An example of an economy in which a positive balance of payments is generally regarded as a bad thing is Japan in the 1990s. Because Japan had a consistently positive balance of payments, it had more currency than it could effectively invest, and it was reluctant to also offer full access to its own markets. This led to huge Japanese overseas purchases of items such as real estate, which were o ...

See also:

Balance of trade, Balance of trade - Economic impact of balance of trade, Balance of trade - Popular myths about trade deficits, Balance of trade - Debate about the United States trade deficit, Balance of trade - Physical trade balance

Read more here: » Balance of trade: Encyclopedia II - Balance of trade - Economic impact of balance of trade

While use of grass-family plant-fiber has long been a part of building methods the world around, dating far back into prehistory, actual straw-bale construction was pioneered in Nebraska in the USA, in the late 19th/early 20th century, in response the then-new availability of baling machines and the lack of significant amounts of lumber or buildable sod in the sand-hill region, with which to build barns and housing. Under the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Kincaid Act of 1920, the "sod-busters" were required to "develop" and live on th ...

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Straw-bale construction, Straw-bale construction - History, Straw-bale construction - Materials, Straw-bale construction - Techniques, Straw-bale construction - Walls, Straw-bale construction - Finishes, Straw-bale construction - Foundation, Straw-bale construction - Roofing, Straw-bale construction - Characteristics, Straw-bale construction - Advantages, Straw-bale construction - Insulation, Straw-bale construction - Thermal mass, Straw-bale construction - Simplicity, Straw-bale construction - Availability and cost, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to pests, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to fire, Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages, Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength, Straw-bale construction - Design and construction challenges

Read more here: » Straw-bale construction: Encyclopedia II - Straw-bale construction - History

Straw-bales can be made from a range of plant fibers, not only grass-family species like wheat, rye, barley, blue-grass and rice, but also flax, hemp, etc. (Bales of recycled materials like paper, pasteboard, waxed cardboard, crushed plastics, whole tires and used carpeting have also all been used or are currently being explored for building.) Basic straw-bales are produced on farms and referred to as "field-bales". These come in a range of sizes, from small "two-string" ones 18 in (460 mm) wide, by either 14 or 16 in (350 to 400 mm) ...

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Straw-bale construction, Straw-bale construction - History, Straw-bale construction - Materials, Straw-bale construction - Techniques, Straw-bale construction - Walls, Straw-bale construction - Finishes, Straw-bale construction - Foundation, Straw-bale construction - Roofing, Straw-bale construction - Characteristics, Straw-bale construction - Advantages, Straw-bale construction - Insulation, Straw-bale construction - Thermal mass, Straw-bale construction - Simplicity, Straw-bale construction - Availability and cost, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to pests, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to fire, Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages, Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength, Straw-bale construction - Design and construction challenges

Read more here: » Straw-bale construction: Encyclopedia II - Straw-bale construction - Materials

Straw-bale construction - Walls. The original "Nebraska" straw-bale building technique was one in which walls of straw-bales actually provided the support for the roof-structure above, so these are now referred to as load-bearing, and straw-bale homes of this style continue to be built and permitted. An alternative method of construction uses a post and beam framing system to carry roof, wind and seismic loads]. Once that structure is in place, the walls are then infilled with straw bales for insulation. T ...

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Straw-bale construction, Straw-bale construction - History, Straw-bale construction - Materials, Straw-bale construction - Techniques, Straw-bale construction - Walls, Straw-bale construction - Finishes, Straw-bale construction - Foundation, Straw-bale construction - Roofing, Straw-bale construction - Characteristics, Straw-bale construction - Advantages, Straw-bale construction - Insulation, Straw-bale construction - Thermal mass, Straw-bale construction - Simplicity, Straw-bale construction - Availability and cost, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to pests, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to fire, Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages, Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength, Straw-bale construction - Design and construction challenges

Read more here: » Straw-bale construction: Encyclopedia II - Straw-bale construction - Techniques

Straw-bale construction - Insulation. Straw-bale buildings have excellent thermal performance because of their combination of high insulative value and the well-distributed thermal mass provided by thick plaster coating. The theoretical R-value (thermal resistivity) for a 16.5 inch (420 mm) straw bale was calculated by Joseph McCabe as 52 (RSI-9.2). This is compared with a theoretical R-value for 3.5 inch (90 mm) of fibreglass (the conventional insulation material used in home construction) of 13 (RSI-2.3) ...

See also:

Straw-bale construction, Straw-bale construction - History, Straw-bale construction - Materials, Straw-bale construction - Techniques, Straw-bale construction - Walls, Straw-bale construction - Finishes, Straw-bale construction - Foundation, Straw-bale construction - Roofing, Straw-bale construction - Characteristics, Straw-bale construction - Advantages, Straw-bale construction - Insulation, Straw-bale construction - Thermal mass, Straw-bale construction - Simplicity, Straw-bale construction - Availability and cost, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to pests, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to fire, Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages, Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength, Straw-bale construction - Design and construction challenges

Read more here: » Straw-bale construction: Encyclopedia II - Straw-bale construction - Advantages

Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength. Load-bearing straw-bale walls are typically used only in single-storey or occasionally double-storey structures. A dug foundation (basement) is uncommon. An all-straw vaulted building was designed and built in Joshua Tree, California, and greatly exceeded the structural requirements for this highly active seismic zone. Post and beam straw-bale structures have been used for buildings as large as 14,000 square feet (1,300 m²) and even for a United States Post Office, in Corrales, NM [3]. Straw-bale ...

See also:

Straw-bale construction, Straw-bale construction - History, Straw-bale construction - Materials, Straw-bale construction - Techniques, Straw-bale construction - Walls, Straw-bale construction - Finishes, Straw-bale construction - Foundation, Straw-bale construction - Roofing, Straw-bale construction - Characteristics, Straw-bale construction - Advantages, Straw-bale construction - Insulation, Straw-bale construction - Thermal mass, Straw-bale construction - Simplicity, Straw-bale construction - Availability and cost, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to pests, Straw-bale construction - Resistance to fire, Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages, Straw-bale construction - Limits to structural strength, Straw-bale construction - Design and construction challenges

Read more here: » Straw-bale construction: Encyclopedia II - Straw-bale construction - Disadvantages

Ethics (from Greek ethikos) is the branch of axiology – one of the four major branches of philosophy, alongside metaphysics, epistemology, and logic – which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to define that which is right from that which is wrong. The Western tradition of ethics is sometimes called moral philosophy. Ethics - The first social science. Assumptions about ethical underpinnings of human behaviour are reflected in every social science, including: anthropology because ...

Including:

• Ethics - The first social science
• Ethics - Meta-ethics
• Ethics - Normative ethics
• Ethics - Applied ethics
• Ethics - Ethics in religion
• Ethics - Ethics in health care
• Ethics - Ethics in politics
• Ethics - Ethics by cases
• Ethics - Descriptive ethics
• Ethics - The analytic view

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Urban Studies is the scientific discipline that studies all aspects of cities, their suburbs, and other urban areas. This includes urban economics, urban planning, urban architecture, urban ecology, urban transportation systems, urban politics, and urban social relations. This can be contrasted with rural areas and rural lifestyles. List of urban studies topics - List of terms in urban studies. autonomous village arcology architecture allotment (gardening) a ...

Including:

• List of urban studies topics - List of terms in urban studies
• List of urban studies topics - Noted urbanists
• List of urban studies topics - Related lists

Read more here: » List of urban studies topics: Encyclopedia - List of urban studies topics

Green issues Worldwide green parties (list): Global Greens · Africa · Americas · Asia-Pacific · Europe Global Greens Charter: ecological wisdom · social justice · participatory democracy · nonviolence · sustainability · respect diversity Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society. It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that societ ...

Including:

• Sustainability - Definition
• Sustainability - Sustainability Index
• Sustainability - Concepts and issues
• Sustainability - Implementing Agenda 21
• Sustainability - Types of sustainability
• Sustainability - Development sustainability
• Sustainability - Bibliography

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Main articles: applied ethics, and [[{{{2}}}]], and [[{{{3}}}]], and [[{{{4}}}]]See also:

Ethics, Ethics - The first social science, Ethics - Meta-ethics, Ethics - Normative ethics, Ethics - Applied ethics, Ethics - Ethics in religion, Ethics - Ethics in health care, Ethics - Ethics in politics, Ethics - Ethics by cases, Ethics - Descriptive ethics, Ethics - The analytic view

Read more here: » Ethics: Encyclopedia II - Ethics - Applied ethics