Time to find a second Earth, WWF says
Carbon pollution and over-use of Earth’s natural resources have become so critical that, on current trends, we will need a second planet to meet our needs by 2030, the WWF said on Wednesday.
In 2007, Earth’s 6.8 billion humans were living 50 percent beyond the planet’s threshold of sustainability, according to its report, issued ahead of a UN biodiversity conference.
“Even with modest UN projections for population growth, consumption and climate change, by 2030 humanity will need the capacity of two Earths to absorb CO2 waste and keep up with natural resource consumption,” it warned.
If everyone used resources at the same rate per capita as the United States or the United Arab Emirates, four and a half planets would be needed, it said, highlighting the gap in “ecological footprint” between rich and poor.
The “Living Planet” report, the eighth in the series, is based on figures for 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
It pointed to 71 countries that were running down their sources of freshwater at a worrying, unsustainable rate.
Nearly two-thirds of these countries experience “moderate to severe” water stress.
“This has profound implications for ecosystem health, food production and human wellbeing, and is likely to be exacerbated by climate change,” WWF said.
Signatories to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are to meet in Nagoya, Japan, from October 18-29 to discuss ways of addressing Earth’s dramatic loss of species.
The UN named 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Under Target 7b of the Millennium Development Goals, UN members pledged to achieve by 2010 “a significant reduction” in the rate of wildlife loss.
Biologists say many species, especially mammals, birds and amphibians, are in headlong decline, their numbers ravaged by habitat loss, hunting or the likely impact of climate change.
The WWF said biodiversity showed a dramatic loss overall, but one with sharp disparities.
Between 1970 and 2007, an index of biodiversity health showed a global fall of almost 30 percent, it said.
In the tropics, the decline was 60 percent, but in temperate regions, there was an increase of 30 percent.
Temperate zones — the first parts of the world to industrialise — may be starting from a lower baseline of species loss, which could explain the gradual improvement in recent decades.
Improvements in pollution control and waste management, better air and water quality, an increase in forest cover and greater conservation efforts may also be making headway in some temperate countries, the WWF said.
From: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4394831
At the rate we are going, we are definitely destroying our planet earth. Some countries are depleting the earth’s resources more than others. Can’t imagine how the world would be like 50 years from now.
Just would like to share this video I found on how animal use and abuse contributes to depleting our environment. We can all end animal use and everyone has a fair chance to live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWWNLvgU4MI&feature=related
makes me feel scared… any kind of prayers we can do to affect the balance?
Human beings pride themselves on being the intelligent life form on Earth, but look at the mess they made – instead of making Earth a beautiful home, they are creating a living hell in many parts of the world. Intellect without wisdom and compassion is destruction!
We, as human beings, have been taking advantage over our mother Earth, to the extent of needing a second one. I think that idea is quite scary. It will be scary because I do not know what will happen. I do not want to get separated from what we are now.
I think that if the population decreases, we will not need a second earth but we still need to conserve any resources we have.
Human beings are just being to prideful as we are the most smartest animals on Earth. If we really are, then why are we ruining it.
Finding a planet that could potentially support life in the Universe is really a major step towards answering a major question asked by most scientists: Are we alone? According to astrological Journal reports, astronomers have found many other planets in our galactic neighbourhood, plenty of earth-like planets circling other stars, but to ascertain finding one in what astronomers refered to as in a “habitable zone” still remain an unsolved mystery! Particularly, one which can hve the potentials to harbour life with suitable conditions like our earthly temperatures, atmospheric air and water etc., etc., to sustain life. In another latest scientific calculation, reports made by some scientists, it was fiquired out that as much as one out of five to ten stars in the universe, have planets that are like earth-sized and in habitable zone. In washington, it seems astronomers revealed they hve for the first time spotted a planet in the “goldilocks zone” with not too hot, not too cold temperature, Juuuust right, just like earth, but cautions were made that it is too speculative to say this planet can harbour lives. So we are back to square one again!