Global Consumption: Humanity is increasingly living above its means – by Stéphanie Senet

By 29 July, humanity had consumed more resources than the planet is capable of offering within a year, according to the Global Footprint Network, an environmental NGO. EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l’Environnement reports.

At the current level, it would take an average of 1.8 planets to meet our global resource needs. And for some countries, the ecological imbalance is particularly high.

For example, world countries would require the equivalent of 5 planets to ensure their resource needs if they were to follow US consumption patterns, well ahead of Australia (4.1 planets) and Russia (3.2). France comes eighth on the global scale, with an ecological footprint requiring 2.7 planets.

These high resource consumption levels are exacerbating desertification, soil erosion, species loss and water shortage. It is also reducing agricultural productivity and depleting fish stocks.

In comparison, India’s resource needs only average that of 0.7 planets, despite it having a population of 1.4 billion.

Note EU-Digest: For those who are attached to their "stuff" and believe in the consumer society, maybe this Biblical quoute says its best: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1, verse 21
 
Read more at: Humanity is increasingly living above its means – EURACTIV.com

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Overfishing: Marine Life Drops by Half since 1970

Floating Fish Processing ship

The nonprofit World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London have jointly determined that ind
ustrial-scale overfishing, pollution and climate change have killed half of all marine life over the last 40 years.

The Living Blue Planet Report cites that species essential to the global food supply are among the hardest hit, partially due to humans catching them faster than they can reproduce. Large swaths of coral reefs, mangroves and sea grasses have also died, further decimating fish populations.

Statistics show that the family of fish that includes tuna and mackerel has declined by 75 percent since 1970. The number of species is also declining; a quarter of all shark and ray species face extinction. Half of all coral has already disappeared, and the rest will vanish by 2050 if temperatures continue to rise at current rates.

“Coral reefs occupy less than 1 percent of the ocean surface, but they harbor a third of ocean species,” says French biologist Gilles Boeuf.

The WWF report argues that protected global ocean area should be tripled by 2020 and fish retailers should source from companies that follow certified best practice standards.

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