Indicators

Question 1

Defenition

Answer 1

• aggregated and simplified accurate description of a complex reality
• necessary part of the stream of information we use to understand the world, make decisions, and plan our actions
• what we care about measuring
• some are quantitatively measurable, others feel qualitative

Question 2

Different applications for retrospect and prospect of environment

Answer 2

Retrospective
1. Learning
2. Communicate
3. Change
Prospective

Question 3

What does it mean with retrospective application

Answer 3

Learning is a retrospective tool

With retrospective indicators, historical events can be examined and learned from
- tracing the story

Question 4

What does it men with prospective application

Answer 4

Change is a prospective tool

With prospective indicators future events can be predicted
- shaping the story

Question 5

What is between retrospective and prospective?

Answer 5

Communicating is a tool for the present

With indicators focused on the present, recent occasions can be identified
- telling the story

Question 6

How are indicators often used

Answer 6

Decision-making and problem structuring -> indicators -> used in eg MFA, LCA

Choices of indicators is a critical determinant of the behavior of a system

Question 7

Hierarchy of indicators

Answer 7

Aggregated info (most-least)

Index
Headline indicator
Indicator
Data

Question 8

Indicator pitfalls

Answer 8

• overaggregation - too many things lumped together
• measuring what can be measure rather than what is important
• Incompleteness - missed info
• overconfidence

Question 9

Commonly used indicators

Answer 9

• Ecological footprint - measures human demand on nature, ie the quantity of nature it takes to support people or an economy
• Human development index (HDI) - indicates the welfare by looking at factors such as death rate, education, healthcare
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - the total market value of all final goods and services of a nation
• Genuine Progress Indicators (GPI) - GDP adjusted for factors such as income distribution, cost of crime, pollution