Masters Thesis

Customized municipal ecological footprint analysis: a case study of Arcata, California

This thesis seeks to develop a procedure for evaluating the sustainability of Arcata, California and Humboldt State University (HSU) based on the Ecological Footprint (EF), a leading sustainability indicator. Building on two complimentary methods for calculating footprints for sub-national geographic areas, this thesis discusses conceptual and methodological implications and suggests improvements for enhancing the clarity and applicability of customized EF studies. I analyzed three study groups: Arcata residents, HSU, and Arcata and HSU combined. Based on the customized methodology, Arcata residents had a per capita EF of 8.18 global hectares in the year 2000; members of the HSU community had a per capita EF of 1.14 global hectares; and the combined communites of Arcata and HSU had a per capita EF of 8.69 global hectares. This methodology, while not directly comparable to other EF studies, is most effective for analyzing Arcata as a single unit while providing the most relevant data for local planning and sustainability strategies.

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