Humanity is outstripping the Earth's resources by 50 percent

[cynatnite]

The world's biodiversity is down 30 percent since the 1970s, according to a new report, with tropical species taking the biggest hit. And if humanity continues as it has been, the picture could get bleaker.

Humanity is outstripping the Earth's resources by 50 percent — essentially using the resources of one and a half Earths every year, according to the 2012 Living Planet Report, produced by conservation agency the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Colby Loucks, the director of conservation sciences at WWF, compared humanity to bad houseguests.

"We're emptying the fridge, we're not really taking care of the lawn, we're not weeding the flower beds and we're certainly not taking out the garbage," Loucks said.

<--->

In order from most to least, the top 10 greediest resource users per capita are:
Qatar
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Denmark
United States
Belgium
Australia
Canada
The Netherlands
Ireland

http://news.yahoo.com/report-global-biodiversity-down-30-percent-40-years-000930009.html

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

1. Wish I could rec this more than once

[cynatnite]

4. I thought this would get a bit more attention here at DU...

With our planet's issues of overpopulation and all that, this is not a surprise.

[aikoaiko]

2. Poor Ireland, it can't catch a break.

More seriously, how does one use the resources of one and a half Earths every year. Isn't Earth comprised of 100% of the resources on Earth?

[jberryhill]

3. Relative to the rate of replenishment

Example: There is a certain amount of wood in forests. There is the annual rate at which new wood is produced. And there is the rate at which wood is consumed.

One can easily consume, in one year, more wood than is produced in one year. One can do that until one runs out of existing forest.

[Speck Tater]

5. Don't worry. It's self-correcting.

We don't have to do a thing, so why worry about it? Mother nature will simply do away with the excess population.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

6. It is because we sit back and let them make a profit off the earth and her resources.

Once we stop taking that shit, our earth will come back. But until we stand up and fight them back, it is going to keep happening.

[The2ndWheel]

7. Civilization is a resource concentration process

It's an incredible mechanism to crowd out whatever gets in our way. It's what we do, and we want more. The economy has to grow.

[provis99]

8. don't worry. global thermonuclear war will solve the problem.

Inevitable War = no more humans = no more problem! The earth wins!

[flvegan]

9. Go vegan!