- Earth's population will be forced to colonise two planets
within 50 years if natural resources continue to be exploited at the current
rate, according to a report out this week.
- A study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to be released
on Tuesday, warns that the human race is plundering the planet at a pace
that outstrips its capacity to support life.
- In a damning condemnation of Western society's high consumption
levels, it adds that the extra planets (the equivalent size of Earth) will
be required by the year 2050 as existing resources are exhausted.
- The report, based on scientific data from across the
world, reveals that more than a third of the natural world has been destroyed
by humans over the past three decades.
- Using the image of the need for mankind to colonise space
as a stark illustration of the problems facing Earth, the report warns
that either consumption rates are dramatically and rapidly lowered or the
planet will no longer be able to sustain its growing population.
- Experts say that seas will become emptied of fish while
forests - which absorb carbon dioxide emissions - are completely destroyed
and freshwater supplies become scarce and polluted.
- The report offers a vivid warning that either people
curb their extravagant lifestyles or risk leaving the onus on scientists
to locate another planet that can sustain human life. Since this is unlikely
to happen, the only option is to cut consumption now.
- Systematic overexploitation of the planet's oceans has
meant the North Atlantic's cod stocks have collapsed from an estimated
spawning stock of 264,000 tonnes in 1970 to under 60,000 in 1995.
- The study will also reveal a sharp fall in the planet's
ecosystems between 1970 and 2002 with the Earth's forest cover shrinking
by about 12 per cent, the ocean's biodiversity by a third and freshwater
ecosystems in the region of 55 per cent.
- The Living Planet report uses an index to illustrate
the shocking level of deterioration in the world's forests as well as marine
and freshwater ecosystems. Using 1970 as a baseline year and giving it
a value of 100, the index has dropped to a new low of around 65 in the
space of a single generation.
- It is not just humans who are at risk. Scientists, who
examined data for 350 kinds of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, also
found the numbers of many species have more than halved.
- Martin Jenkins, senior adviser for the World Conservation
Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, which helped compile the report, said:
'It seems things are getting worse faster than possibly ever before. Never
has one single species had such an overwhelming influence. We are entering
- Figures from the centre reveal that black rhino numbers
have fallen from 65,000 in 1970 to around 3,100 now. Numbers of African
elephants have fallen from around 1.2 million in 1980 to just over half
a million while the population of tigers has fallen by 95 per cent during
the past century.
- The UK's birdsong population has also seen a drastic
fall with the corn bunting population declining by 92 per cent between
1970 and 2000, the tree sparrow by 90 per cent and the spotted flycatcher
by 70 per cent.
- Experts, however, say it is difficult to ascertain how
many species have vanished for ever because a species has to disappear
for 50 years before it can be declared extinct.
- Attention is now focused on next month's Earth Summit
in Johannesburg, the most important environmental negotiations for a decade.
- However, the talks remain bedevilled with claims that
no agreements will be reached and that US President George W. Bush will
fail to attend.
- Matthew Spencer, a spokesman for Greenpeace, said: 'There
will have to be concessions from the richer nations to the poorer ones
or there will be fireworks.'
- The preparatory conference for the summit, held in Bali
last month, was marred by disputes between developed nations and poorer
states and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), despite efforts by British
politicians to broker compromises on key issues.
- America, which sent 300 delegates to the conference,
is accused of blocking many of the key initiatives on energy use, biodiversity
and corporate responsibility.
- The WWF report shames the US for placing the greatest
pressure on the environment. It found the average US resident consumes
almost double the resources as that of a UK citizen and more than 24 times
that of some Africans.
- Based on factors such as a nation's consumption of grain,
fish, wood and fresh water along with its emissions of carbon dioxide from
industry and cars, the report provides an ecological 'footprint' for each
country by showing how much land is required to support each resident.
- America's consumption 'footprint' is 12.2 hectares per
head of population compared to the UK's 6.29ha while Western Europe as
a whole stands at 6.28ha. In Ethiopia the figure is 2ha, falling to just
half a hectare for Burundi, the country that consumes least resources.
- The report, which will be unveiled in Geneva, warns that
the wasteful lifestyles of the rich nations are mainly responsible for
the exploitation and depletion of natural wealth. Human consumption has
doubled over the last 30 years and continues to accelerate by 1.5 per cent
- Now WWF wants world leaders to use its findings to agree
on specific actions to curb the population's impact on the planet.
- A spokesman for WWF UK, said: 'If all the people consumed
natural resources at the same rate as the average US and UK citizen we
would require at least two extra planets like Earth.'
- The world's ticking timebomb
- Marine crisis: North Atlantic cod stocks have collapsed
from an estimated 264,000 tonnes in 1970 to under 60,000 in 1995.
- Pollution: The United States places the greatest pressure
on the environment, with its carbon dioxide emissions and over-consumption.
It takes 12.2 hectares of land to support each American citizen and 6.29
for each Briton, while the figure for Burundi is just half a hectare.
- Shrinking Forests: Between 1970 and 2002 forest cover
has dwindled by 12 per cent.
- Endangered wildlife: African elephant numbers have fallen
from 1.2 million in 1980 to half a million now. In the UK the songbird
population has fallen dramatically, with the corn bunting declining by
92 per cent in the past 30 years.
- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited
- Earth will expire by 2050?
Only the dreams of the communists.
From Scott Robertson
- I am regular listener and visit your site daily. Yours
is the only site that expresses both sides of the issue on just about any
issue there is.
- Although, I must admit, I have never seen the other side
of environmental issues such as this piece of propaganda put out by the
communist organization the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
- There is no way in the furthest depths of hell we can
"expire the Earth" by 2050. I used to remember when I was going
to school in the 1980s that humans would use up all of the fossil fuels
by the 1990s, and then it was 2000, and now it is 2050.
- Do you realize that the 260 million people in the contential
United States occupies less that 5% of the land.
- During the last 50 years, for every tree the logging
industry cut down they planted 3 more in its place, thus today we have
more trees in this country than in any point in this country's history.
- Practally every day, new fossil fuel sources are found
somewhere on this planet. Just a few months ago, the largest oil reserves
in the world were found in Tibet!!!!
- Organizations like the WWF are nothing more than tools
used by the United Nations to outlaw the private ownership of land and
promote land management policies. I do not believe one letter of the bullshit
that is this news article and I would hope in the future, you can find
a guest that dispells these lies of this and other environmental organizations.
- I plan to retire right here in this planet, comfortably
and without environmental incident.
- From Jim Mortellaro
- Dear Scott:
- The fact remains, that no matter how long it takes, this
planet is on it's way out. Whether or not earth is able to retain it's
standing as a resource supporting humanity until 2050 or later, doesn't
matter. What does is the recognition by you, by me and by humanity, that
we are failing to support our planet. As a result, it will slowly begin
to fail to support us.
- One by one, the world will deny us one resource after
another. Each resource will affect humanity in terrible ways. Our water
supply, food supply and the very air we breath is not merely in jeopardy,
it is presently failing us. Until we recognize this fact, we will continue
to do nothing. Or at best, not enough.
- What this means to you matters not one dot. What matters
to your children is everything. If we are unable to repair the damage done,
if we are unable to control the rape of the earth (and both are likely)
then we are doomed.
- If it makes you feel good that your retirement is safe
enough to enjoy, then you are not getting the message. I am already retired.
And I am terrified as to what awaits our children.
- With respect,
Jim Mortellaro, Ph.D.