Tuesday, October 24, 2006 · Last updated 3:44 p.m. PT

WWF: Humanity using resources too fast

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GLAND, Switzerland -- The Earth's ecosystems are being run down faster than ever because humanity is using more natural resources than our planet can replenish, the World Wildlife Fund said Tuesday.

WWF's biennial report on the state of the natural world said humanity would be using double the available resources by 2050, unless the amount used and the waste produced is significantly reduced.

"We are in serious ecological overshoot, consuming resources faster than the Earth can replace them," WWF International Director General James Leape said. "The consequences of this are predictable and dire."

Eventually, ecological assets, such as forests and fisheries will be harvested to such a degree that they might disappear altogether. In 2003, 25 percent more natural resources were used than the Earth could sustainably replenish, the report said.

According to WWF, humanity's ecological footprint - measuring the area of biologically productive land and sea required to provide all the resources used and absorb waste - has more than tripled between 1961 and 2003.

Countries with the largest ecological footprint per person are the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Finland, Canada, Kuwait, Australia, Estonia, Sweden, New Zealand and Norway. China is ranked 69th, but its size and rapid economic growth make it a key player for the sustainable use of the world's resources, the report said.

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On the Net: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/living-planet-report.pdf

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