Declining biodiversity

Report says two planets would be needed to sustain human activity by 2030

GN Bureau | May 15, 2012




The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in its latest report says that human beings are outstripping the Earth’s resources by 50 percent. The report also mentioned that the world's biodiversity is down by 30 percent since the 1970s.

“Unless the world addresses the problem, by 2030 even two planet Earths would not be enough to sustain human activity,” said the report titled "Living Planet Report 2012". The report is a biennial audit of the world's environment and biodiversity - the number of plant and animal species.

The report found that high-income countries have an ecological footprint on an average of five times than that of low-income ones. “The demand of natural resources has become unsustainable and is putting "tremendous" pressure on the planet's biodiversity,” the report added.

According to the report, the top 10 countries with the biggest ecological footprint per person are: Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, United States of America, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Ireland.

The report was produced in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and Global Footprint Network

Read the report

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