Global Context, National Interdependencies, and the Ecological Footprint: A Structural Equation Analysis.

This paper develops a theoretical integration and estimates an associated structural equation model of the ecological footprints of nations. The ecological footprint is an approximation of environmental pressure on natural resources that stems from production, consumption, and the resultant disposal of waste. We use structural equation modeling techniques to test an integrative perspective based on direct and indirect effects, taken from human ecology, ecological economics, modernization, and political economy approaches, as well as from the natural sciences. We find evidence for the conjuncture of many of the theories investigated and for contextualizing the footprint in a global network of causes. The model raises questions about conclusions reached in prior analyses based on direct effects only. The significant roles played by natural and economic forces suggest a need to attend to multidisciplinary dynamics. With the exception of “weak sustainability,” the indirect and direct impacts suggest ever-escalating levels of the footprints of nations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]