WWF: Earth's ecosystems face 'large-scale collapse'

EARTH'S natural resources are being used 25 per cent faster than the planet can renew them, analysis by conservation group WWF indicates.

Measurements of crop yields, carbon dioxide emissions, fishing and the use of forests suggest that mankind's ecological footprint is too big to be sustained.

Since 1961, it has more than tripled in size and, for the past 20 years, mankind has been living beyond its ecological means, a WWF report says.

It is the equivalent, in banking terms, of living off capital rather than interest.

Using UN projections of the growth of the human population and economies, the report predicts that by the middle of the century "large-scale ecosystem collapse" is likely.

The world's average footprint is calculated to be 2.2ha per capita, but only 1.8ha of each person's consumption can be regenerated by the planet each year.

Source

Great news. It seems that we're living in an age of bad news only. If we're not gonna die due to a nuclear war, we'll die due to the consequences of our ignorant way of living.

Edit: source

[edit on 24-10-2006 by Mdv2]

Nature has an uncanny ability to get rid of threats to it.Its extinguished life here many times before.If we create a bad situation,nature will just get rid of us.Through ice age,global warming,hurricanes,earthquakes,etc.Humanity should learn from past events.

Originally posted by Black_Fox
Nature has an uncanny ability to get rid of threats to it.Its extinguished life here many times before.If we create a bad situation,nature will just get rid of us.Through ice age,global warming,hurricanes,earthquakes,etc.Humanity should learn from past events.

Yes... tell our leaders about it, tell China and India about it. Hasn't Al Gore been trying for a pretty long time to convince Bush of the threat we pose? He doesn't even want to see his movie or slide show... How ignorant can one be.. just ignore the threat and the problems will solve themselves.

Anyway where do they actually try to seriously stop the process from evolving any further? No where I guess...

We just have to work smarter. There is a company called greenshift technologies. They have this new system that creates photosynthesis on a large scale for companies that pollute carbon dioxide. We have to continue with these type of technologies and counteract our past human errors. Imagine all the cars pushing out oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. We just can never stop pushing...grab momentum and give to our future generations...build a strong, clean, positive foundation.

www.greenshift.com...

The problem is the point to life is to make money and be economically successful within the market system. That means greeners will always take a back seat to the market system.

We definitely need to work smarter. Perhaps we need more people like Gore pushing the panic button so something actually gets done.

I'm sure the future will have a way in fixing this problem.

People have been trying to predict disasters ever since the existance of man. Remember the famous economist who predicted there would be mass starvation in England because pop. growth was rising whereas food levels were staying constant? - HE FAILED to predict the industrial revolution and advancement in technology. The point is, we don't KNOW what the future holds. Our resources are running out, yes, but don't give up hope that our future generations cannot handle it. They can. We humans always have and we always will.



[edit on 24-10-2006 by k4rupt]

Originally posted by k4rupt
I'm sure the future will have a way in fixing this problem.

People have been trying to predict disasters ever since the existance of man. Remember the famous economist who predicted there would be mass starvation in England because pop. growth was rising whereas food levels were staying constant? - HE FAILED to predict the industrial revolution and advancement in technology. The point is, we don't KNOW what the future holds. Our resources are running out, yes, but don't give up hope that our future generations cannot handle it. They can. We humans always have and we always will.



[edit on 24-10-2006 by k4rupt]

Good point we could always develop the technology to manipulate Atoms in such a way to creat the materials and resources that we need, turning our garbage right into steel and other materials. Would be kinda cool and would save the day as well.

it's all a part of evolution.