Credit where it is due
This talk was produced and published by XE Live. MEER links to the official recording rather than reposting it.
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Living sustainably in the Anthropocene
William E. Rees on ecological footprints, overshoot and what sustainability really requires.
William E. Rees · Professor Emeritus, School of Community and Regional Planning
University of British Columbia
Date
Information coming soon
Type
Conference presentation
- Ecological Overshoot
- Carrying Capacity
- Resource Limits
- Sustainability
- Global Heating
- Climate Policy
MEER conference talks · video archive
The argument
About this talk
Published by XE Live. William E. Rees, originator of the ecological footprint, sets out how far humanity's demands now exceed what the biosphere can regenerate.
He explains why efficiency and technology alone do not resolve overshoot, and what living within biophysical limits would actually involve.
This recording is published by XE Live on its official YouTube channel. Credit and all rights belong to XE Live and the speaker; MEER links to it for reference only.
Indexed knowledge
Key topics covered
The signal
Key takeaways
Overshoot is measurable
The ecological footprint shows human demand exceeding the biosphere's regenerative capacity.
Efficiency is not enough
Gains in efficiency are routinely absorbed by growth in consumption.
Why MEER includes it
Understanding limits clarifies why direct cooling is needed alongside deep cuts in demand and emissions.
Questions worth asking
Frequently asked questions
About the speaker
William E. Rees
Professor Emeritus, School of Community and Regional Planning · University of British Columbia
William E. Rees is a bioecologist and ecological economist at the University of British Columbia, and the originator of the ecological footprint concept with his former student Mathis Wackernagel. His work examines human carrying capacity, overshoot and the biophysical limits of industrial society.
About the conference
XE Live
This talk was recorded and published by XE Live on its official YouTube channel. Credit and all rights belong to XE Live and the speaker.
Downloads and further reading
