Living Planet Report: Humanity now needs 1.5 earths

Humanity is now using renewable resources and producing carbon dioxide at a rate 50 percent faster than the Earth can sustain, reveals the 2010 edition of the Living Planet Report – the leading survey of the planet’s health. The biennial report, produced by WWF in collaboration with Global Footprint Network and the Zoological Society of London, was released today at the Wild Screen Film Festival in Bristol, UK. Coming just days before UN representatives meet in Nagoya, Japan to set a new agenda for addressing species loss, the report details alarming biodiversity declines along with a rapid escalation of human demand that is far outstripping nature’s regenerative capacity.

‘The dwindling health of the world’s species is no surprise considering how much of nature’s services humanity is taking for its own use,’ said Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network. ‘Ultimately, enabling biodiversity to thrive will require bringing human demand for nature’s services to a level Earth can sustainably supply.’