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Humanity's Resource Demand Exceeds Earth's Capacity, WWF Says
2010-10-13 12:00:00.2 GMT
By Dinakar Sethuraman
Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Humanity will require the capacity
of two Earths by 2030 to keep up with its consumption of natural
resources and to absorb carbon emissions, the World Wide Fund
For Nature said in a report.
Individuals, businesses and governments may use resources
at the rate of more than 2.8 planets a year by 2050, WWF said in
its 2010 Living Planet report. In 2007, people consumed the
equivalent of 1.5 Earths, according to WWF.
Economic growth has fueled demand for resources, leading to
a decline in the Earth's biodiversity of about 30 percent
between 1970 and 2007, WWF said. As many as 71 countries are
facing stress on water sources that people deplete and don't
replenish, according to the fund.
"If everyone in the world lived like an average resident
of the United States or the United Arab Emirates, then a bio-
capacity equivalent to more than 4.5 Earths would be required to
keep up with humanity's consumption and carbon dioxide
emissions," WWF said.
At the Copenhagen climate conference in December, delegates
were planning to finish a two-year effort to replace the 1997
Kyoto Protocol that limits emissions through 2012. Instead, they
clashed over aid to developing countries, pollution-reduction
goals and how to verify individual pledges. No binding treaty
was adopted. The next round of international talks is scheduled
to start at the end of November in Cancun, Mexico.
"Floods, landslides and fires are what happen when the
environment bites back," said Chris Hails, a U.K. biologist and
chairman of the Singapore arm of WWF. At least 1,500 people and
17 million were left without homes after floods hit Pakistan
this year.
The WWF figures are based on United Nations trade
statistics and data on land areas.
For Related News and Information:
Top stories: TOP AU <GO>
Top energy stories: ETOP <GO>
Top environment stories: GREEN <GO>
--Editors: Ryan Woo, Clyde Russell.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Dinakar Sethuraman in Singapore at +65-6212-1590 or
dinakar@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Clyde Russell at +65-6311-2423 or
crussell7@bloomberg.net
