Those resources that we use cannot be used by another living organism at the same time. Therefore, we appropriate a part of the global resources by our living on the planet. The space required to maintain our supply of renewable resources is part of our global footprint. This simplification makes the ecosystem sound like an engineered system. However, for a glimpse at the complexity in the soil food web, check the information by Dr. Elaine Ingham .
Humans add an additional burden on the system.
For example, almost all of the gold mined today is used for jewelry. Some is simply applied intentionally in smaller amounts but accumulate to toxic levels, such as endocrine-mimicking pesticides in the soil. We also reduce the biological value of some valuable materials by contaminating it with toxic industrial materials, such as PCB and pesticides in sewage flowing in our cities to treatment plants, instead of where it can be a food resource for soil microorganisms. This practice of hoarding, whether in a landfill, in the atmosphere, in our soil, or on our bodies, presents a serious threat to life. Today with extensive processing, trade and storage technology, it is difficulty to recognize our footprint.