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Cited by 261Sustainable Development and Environmental PolicyEnergy, Environment, Economic GrowthEnvironmental Impact and Sustainability

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 84 of the 84 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Footprints on the Earth: The Environmental Consequences of Modernity

York, Richard, Rosa, Eugene A., Dietz, Thomas·2003·American Sociological Review
DOI 10.1177/000312240306800205
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Abstract

Growing evidence demonstrating clear threats to the sustainability of the ecosystems supporting human societies has given rise to a variety of sociological theories of human-environment interactions. These environmental impact theories fall into three general perspectives: human ecology, modernization, and political economy. These theories, however, have not been empirically tested in a common analytic framework. Here, a framework that relies on ecological principles is adopted and modified. Using a revised stochastic formulation of that framework and the most comprehensive measure of environmental impact to date—the ecological footprint—the factors driving the environmental impacts of societies are assessed. The overall findings support the claims of human ecologists, partially support the claims of political economists, and contradict the claims of modernization theorists. Basic material conditions, such as population, economic production, urbanization, and geographical factors all affect the environment and explain the vast majority of cross-national variation in environmental impact. Factors derived from neo-liberal modernization theory, such as political freedom, civil liberties, and state environmentalism have no effect on impacts. Taken together, these findings suggest societies cannot be sanguine about achieving sustainability via a continuation of current trends in economic growth and institutional change.

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84 of 84 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

Cites

Show all 83 references

Research works printed but not linked: 31

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Metadata

Authors
York, R., Rosa, E. A., & Dietz, T.
Affiliations
  • University of Oregon (US)
  • Washington State University (US)
  • Michigan State University (US)
Corresponding author
York, Richard
ORCID
Venue
American Sociological Review
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2003-04
Volume
68
Issue
2
Pages
279-300
ISSN
  • 0003-1224 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-8271
DOI
10.1177/000312240306800205
OpenAlex
W4385886475
Cited by
258
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
FWCI
10.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
American Sociological Review (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Energy, Environment, Economic Growth
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
Keywords
ecological footprint, environmental impact, human-nature relationship, modernization theory, human ecology, political economy of the environment, sustainability, population, economic production, urbanization, political freedom, civil liberties, cross-national variation

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