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Thread: Humans living far beyond planet's means

  1. #1
    focus's Avatar
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    Default Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Humans living far beyond planet's means

    (Reuters) -

    Humans are stripping nature at an unprecedented rate and will need two planets' worth of natural resources every year by 2050 on current trends, the WWF conservation group said on Tuesday.

    Populations of many species, from fish to mammals, had fallen by about a third from 1970 to 2003 largely because of human threats such as pollution, clearing of forests and overfishing, the group also said in a two-yearly report.

    "For more than 20 years we have exceeded the earth's ability to support a consumptive lifestyle that is unsustainable and we cannot afford to continue down this path," WWF Director-General James Leape said, launching the WWF's 2006 Living Planet Report.

    "If everyone around the world lived as those in America, we would need five planets to support us," Leape, an American, said in Beijing.

    People in the United Arab Emirates were placing most stress per capita on the planet ahead of those in the United States, Finland and Canada, the report said.

    Australia was also living well beyond its means.

    The average Australian used 6.6 "global" hectares to support their developed lifestyle, ranking behind the United States and Canada, but ahead of the United Kingdom, Russia, China and Japan.

    "If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do here in Australia, we would require three-and-a-half planets to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste," said Greg Bourne, WWF-Australia chief executive officer.

    Everyone would have to change lifestyles -- cutting use of fossil fuels and improving management of everything from farming to fisheries.

    "As countries work to improve the well-being of their people, they risk bypassing the goal of sustainability," said Leape, speaking in an energy-efficient building at Beijing's prestigous Tsinghua University.

    "It is inevitable that this disconnect will eventually limit the abilities of poor countries to develop and rich countries to maintain their prosperity," he added.

    The report said humans' "ecological footprint" -- the demand people place on the natural world -- was 25 percent greater than the planet's annual ability to provide everything from food to energy and recycle all human waste in 2003.

    In the previous report, the 2001 overshoot was 21 percent.

    "On current projections humanity, will be using two planets' worth of natural resources by 2050 -- if those resources have not run out by then," the latest report said.

    "People are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources."

    RISING POPULATION

    "Humanity's footprint has more than tripled between 1961 and 2003," it said. Consumption has outpaced a surge in the world's population, to 6.5 billion from 3 billion in 1960. U.N. projections show a surge to 9 billion people around 2050.

    It said that the footprint from use of fossil fuels, whose heat-trapping emissions are widely blamed for pushing up world temperatures, was the fastest-growing cause of strain.

    Leape said China, home to a fifth of the world's population and whose economy is booming, was making the right move in pledging to reduce its energy consumption by 20 percent over the next five years.

    "Much will depend on the decisions made by China, India and other rapidly developing countries," he added.

    The WWF report also said that an index tracking 1,300 vetebrate species -- birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals -- showed that populations had fallen for most by about 30 percent because of factors including a loss of habitats to farms.

    Among species most under pressure included the swordfish and the South African Cape vulture. Those bucking the trend included rising populations of the Javan rhinoceros and the northern hairy-nosed wombat in Australia.
    The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.

  2. #2
    Vegan Traveler
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Absolutely amazing article
    - The Duck
    Let's do something about it!

  3. #3
    focus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Glad you liked it howdawg, I thought it may be too long a read to hold much interest. I thought it was a great, though sad, read.

    Get an idea of where you rank in the grand scheme of things:
    http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp
    The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.

  4. #4
    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Wow!! Interesting reading. Thanks for posting, Focus.

    We all need to be encouraged to follow the 3 R's more.

    Reduce
    Re-use
    Recycle.

  5. #5
    Seaside
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Quote focus View Post
    Get an idea of where you rank in the grand scheme of things:
    http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp
    I scored 8.

  6. #6
    Abe Froman Risker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    2.3 for me
    "I don't want to live on this planet any more" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth

  7. #7
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    I'm 2.2

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    1.6

    IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 7.6 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.0 PLANETS.


    Excuse me while I gloat
    So I guess that means there's an upside to being poor and single!

  9. #9
    LittleNellColumbia
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    .

  10. #10
    Seaside
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Wow, the Australian average is low! The average in the USA is 24.

  11. #11
    StarShine
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    My footprint is 1.8. I feel kinda proud.

    I think better use of energy and would have lowed it. I like my heaters. It's cold here right now. But to make up for it I steam my foods most of the time instead of using a stove. And I use the microwave as well. I also buy the basics that have very little packaging. Like a big bag dried beans. I try to stay away from canned goods, and especially commercial refined goods in the BIG, FANCY, PACKAGING. Yuck.

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    Nicola's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    1.9 for me

    but i know there's alot more that i could do, guess now's a good a time as any to start!

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    I scored 5. I depend on the car too much. We live far away from everything and walk much less than when we were living in the city. Also, lost points on air miles...Hope to improve on this.

  14. #14
    Vegan Traveler
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    I scored a 12!! But most of it was because I live in a large house...
    - The Duck
    Let's do something about it!

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    vegancrusader Beancakes's Avatar
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    Talking Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    TOTAL FOOTPRINT 0.7 (food was 0.5 ! i should rely on local produce a bit more, make my own noodles etc.)

    WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.0 PLANETS.

  16. #16
    VeganLiz
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Eeek - mine was 3.3 but I think that might be mainly as I have to drive to work and also wasnt sure about the house size and petrol consumption of car

    Liz : 0 )

  17. #17
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    very cool article focus!

    I was a little disappointed with my score because I take my footprint on the environment quite seriously. I think the fact that I live in a house (although it is not a big one) and have to drive to work contributes a great deal.

    FOOD 0.5

    MOBILITY 0.2

    SHELTER 1.1

    GOODS/SERVICES 1

    TOTAL FOOTPRINT 2.8



    IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY (Canada) IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

    IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.6 PLANETS.

  18. #18
    I eve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Mine is 3.2, possibly because I use my car every day, though for short journeys.
    Eve

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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    3.7. I use the car instead of public transport, because the latter is virtually non-existant. Also waste - I find supermarkets force you to be wasteful (too much packaging), non matter how hard you try to avoid it.

  20. #20
    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Do you mean the products themselves, fiamma, or the grocery bags?

    I use re-useable cloth grocery bags and I love them!

  21. #21

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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Often they pack veggies on plastic trays and there's no loose veg alternative. Also here they make you put on a plastic glove to pick your veg. And if you need electrical goods - batteries, adaptors, they use a lot of plastic. I'm like you with the grocery bags - I use cloth ones.

  22. #22

    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Hmm... I can't do. There's no Singapore on the map at all although my home country's there

  23. #23

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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Category Global Hectares

    Food 0.6

    Mobility 0

    Shelter 0.4

    Goods/services 0.5

    Total Footprint 1.5

  24. #24
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Humans living far beyond planet's means

    Quote fiamma View Post
    here they make you put on a plastic glove to pick your veg.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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