Are natural resources a hindrance to ecological footprint? Mineral rents, energy production, and consumption positions

Abstract

Natural resources can indeed hinder ecological footprint, but this largely depends on how these resources are managed and utilized. Mineral rents, energy production, and consumption positions all play a role in determining the impact of natural resources on the environment. They are considered when assessing the impact of natural resources on the environment. This paper examines the natural resources hindrance and the ecological footprint nexus in the United States from 1971 to 2019, using mineral rents, energy use, and electricity production from coal as moderator variables. The results show that natural resources and energy use are positively associated with the ecological footprint, while mineral rents and electricity production from coal are negatively associated with it. These results are consistent with the literature suggesting that the increase in natural resources and energy use leads to an increase in ecological footprint, while the presence of mineral rents and electricity production from coal lead to a decrease in it. In addition, these results suggest that policy measures should be taken to reduce the impacts of natural resources and energy use on ecological footprint. The United States should strive to create policies that improve its mineral rents' sustainability while reducing its ecological footprint. This could be done by implementing measures that incentivize using renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy, and incentivizing businesses to reduce their reliance on mineral rents.