See http://www.footprintnetwork.org/index.html for more

Welcome to the first edition of Footprint Network News. The mission of
the Global Footprint Network is to support the transition to a
sustainable economy by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a tool that
makes sustainability specific. This edition of Footprint Network News
focuses on our new organization's mission and progress to date. Future
editions will highlight the exciting work of our partners and report on
major events in the world of Ecological Footprinting.

Why the Global Footprint Network?
When Bill Rees and Mathis Wackernagel began developing the Footprint
methodology over a decade ago at the University of British Columbia,
they imagined people all over the world using these calculations to
measure consumption and waste. Today, we have come a long way towards
that reality. Over 100 cities and 40 regional and national government
agencies have used the Footprint to inform their policies and planning.
A Google search for the term yields over 50,000 web pages.

But for the Ecological Footprint to have greater impact, increased
coordination is needed between practitioners to ensure that results are
comparable worldwide. In June 2003, after four fruitful years with
Redefining Progress, Mathis Wackernagel formed the Global Footprint
Network and began the process of building consensus among the many
Ecological Footprint practitioners, advocates, researchers and educators
in order to harmonize methodologies and coordinate research. Response
throughout the Ecological Footprinting community has been very positive.

Our Science and Policy Advisory Council

We are thrilled to announce the formation of our Science and Policy
Advisory Council. We are fortunate to have the support and endorsement
from some of the world's most respected science and policy leaders
including

E.O. Wilson
Manfred Max-Neef
Rhodri Morgan
Wangari Maathai
David Suzuki
Emil Salim
Julia Marton-Lefévre
William E. Rees
Lester Brown
Jřrgen Randers
M S Swaminathan
Eric Garcetti
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
Michael Meacher
Karl-Henrik Robčrt
Will Steffen
Dominique Voynet
Fabio Feldman
Oscar Arias
Herman E. Daly
Peter Raven