According to the WWF Living Planet 2002 report, people are consuming more natural resources than nature can produce, and some more so than others. At this rate, the world may soon come to a grinding halt.
> People are using over 20 per cent more natural resources each year than can be regenerated. The ecological footprint of humankind is increasing. This overdraft will not last long.
The Living Planet Index, based on trends in the populations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, over the past 30 years has declined by about 37 per cent.
Our global ecological footprint has grown from about 70 per cent of the planet's biological capacity in 1961 to 120 per cent in 1999
By 2050, humans will consume between 180 per cent and 220 per cent of the Earth's biological capacity
The average Western European footprint was about 5.0 hectares, and the average North American footprint was about 9.6 hectares.
Marine species are also in dire straits - with an average decline of 35 per cent in 217 species, while forest species populations have shown a 15 per cent decline in 282 species in 30 years
Source: Anon 2002, Living Planet Report 2002, Worldwide Fund for Nature, Banson Production, UK, p1,2,6,7,16,17,22,23
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