The recently released 2008 Living Planet Report from WWF contains a stark message of a looming global ecological credit crunch that we won’t be able to buy our way out of. The report, produced in conjunction with the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, shows that human demands on the world's resources have reached nearly a third more than Earth can sustain. Global natural wealth and diversity continues to decline, with more and more countries slipping into a state of permanent or seasonal water stress.
The USA and China have the largest national footprints, each in total have about 21% of global biocapacity, but US citizens each require an average of 9.4 hectares (or nearly 4.5 Planet Earths if the entire global population had the same US consumption patterns) while Chinese citizens use on average 2.1 hectares per person (equivalent to one Planet Earth).
Canadians were found to have the 7th largest ecological footprint - the human demand on the Earth’s ecosystems compared to the Earth’s ability to regenerate those resources. Roughly half of Canada’s ecological footprint comes from carbon released by transportation, heating and electricity production, which also contribute to climate change.
“We are borrowing from our children to live beyond our means, and our children will pay the price,” said Gerald Butts, President and CEO of WWF-Canada. “If everyone on Earth used the resources we use as Canadians, it would take three planets to meet our demand. We can change, but we have to start now.”
The report, published every two years, is widely accepted as a statement of Earth's ability to remain a “living planet”. In 2008, it added for the first time new measures of global, national and individual water footprints.
Download the 2008 Living Planet Report.
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