Tom Levitt, MSN Environment

WWF report: the world's ecological footprint

How much longer will the earth's resources last for? Pictured above is smog over Mexico City (image © PA Photos)

The earth’s resources are running out and some countries are using them up faster than others.

According to the latest WWF planet report, an increasing number of countries are already relying and simultaneously draining the resources of other countries to meet their own needs. The worst offenders being the United States, China and India.

When China imports wood from Tanzania or beef from cattle raised on Brazilian soy they are relying on the resources or biocapacity of others to provide the resources being consumed by their own population.

Ecological footprint

In an attempt to highlight this increasing consumption beyond means, WWF has come up with the ‘ecological footprint’. In effect, humanity’s demand on the natural world in terms of the land and sea required to provide the resources we use and to absorb our waste, i.e. carbon dioxide emissions from cars.

Using this footprint, the worst offenders are oil-rich nations like UAE and Kuwait as well as smaller nations like Denmark that have limited resources of their own but high levels of consumption.

With their huge populations, China and India still have a relatively low ecological footprint per head of population. But as the economies of both countries continue to grow their footprints are going to increase rapidly.

The water crisis

Shortages of key resources is likely to trigger a crisis worse than the current financial one insists WWF

Why we may need two planets

WWF has calculated that the global ecological footprint is 2.7 hectares per person but that the total productive area available is 2.1 hectares per person. In other words, we are already living beyond our means.

And current estimates predict that by the mid-2030s we will need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles.

"Most of us are propping up our current lifestyles, and our economic growth, by drawing and increasingly overdrawing on the ecological capital of other parts of the world," said WWF director-general James Leape.

Drawing parallels with the current financial crisis, Mr Leape added: "We are acting ecologically in the same way as financial institutions have been behaving economically – seeking immediate gratification without due regard for the consequences."

Consequences that would be far worse than the current financial crisis. "Resource limitations will trigger massive stagflation with the value of investments plummeting, while food and energy costs skyrocket," said Mr Leape.

But we do still have time to reverse the crisis.

"If humanity has the will, it has the ways to live within the means of the planet but we must recognise that the our ecological deficit will require even bolder action than that now being mustered for the financial crisis," said Mr Leape

The top 10 – ecological footprint per person

1- United Arab Emirates
2- USA
3- Kuwait
4- Denmark
5- Australia
6- New Zealand
7- Canada
8- Norway
9- Estonia
10- Ireland

15- UK

Further reading

WWF Website

Photos: Endangered animals

How humans are linked to fish

Would you dare visit these wild places?

The most famous eco boat in the world

Video: new Minister talks toilet flushing and climate change