The WWF* 2006 report “confirms that we are using the planet’s resources faster than they can be renewed” with humankinds ecological foot print having more than tripled in 45 years, so-much-so that Earth cannot regenerate its resources quickly enough to avoid a constant deterioration. Moreover, the Living Planet Index “shows a rapid and continuing loss of biodiversity – populations of vertebrate species have declined by about one third since 1970”.
The substance of the report should be frightening but the authors – like so many others who have a political agenda, fail to point their finger clearly at the root cause of the problem – an increase in population selection pressure. It is population numbers and their critical index of population density that are the cause of the stress being placed upon the Earth System. The WWF statement that “The biggest contributor to our footprint is the way in which we generate and use energy” is simply a dumb statement with strong political overtones suggesting an organization that has set its eyes on increased funding rather than solving the problem of Earth’s deterioration. Yes, “our reliance on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs continues to grow and that climate-changing emissions now make up 48 per cent – almost half – of our global footprint”; and, yes “the challenge of reducing our footprint goes to the very heart of our current models for economic development”. But the prime selection pressure on the Earth System is, and has been for 150 years humankinds prodigious growth and expansion which increasing consumes Earth’s resources. The rate of consumption is a function of population selection pressure – primarily population density. As I pointed out in “Evolution and the Future of Humanity” [Hart, 2008] both global corporations and religious institutions have an interest in increasing global population. The politicians of the Institutionalized Liberal Democracies have a vested interest in keeping in the good graces of both Corporations and Religious leaders and will do nothing that hints of population culling – more people mean more consumers and more competition for work [i.e. lower wages can be paid]; and’ more Roman Catholic [or Hindu, or Muslim] children means a larger flock to be fleeced.
The WWF like so many other environment related groups seems scared of pointing to the real culprit because it would have to address the question of reducing humankinds numbers. Again as I pointed out earlier [Hart, 2008] this must address the issue of “who shall live and who shall die” and a morass of ethical principles: euthanasia, eugenics, and restrictions on breeding. These are the issues that must be placed before the public because population reduction is critical – as I have said repeatedly for at least 20 years the “global population is too large for a sustainable Earth System”.
The WWF does do the things it does well – they do work “with leading companies that are taking action to reduce the footprint – cutting carbon emission, and promoting sustainability in other sectors, from fisheries to forests.” This is admirable but the environmental groups need to link the problems to the real cause – unrestricted reproduction by humankind. The meat of the study is good science. The Living Planet Index monitors the health of Earths ecosystem by globally monitoring trends in bio-diversity based upon 1,313 vertebrates species. In the 33 year period ending 2003 it fell 30%. The Ecological Footprint Index tracks the biospheres productivity in terms of the “area of biologically productive land and water needed to provide ecological resources and services – food, fibre, timber, land on which to build, and land to absorb carbon dioxide”. The amount of biologically productive areas is termed the bio-capacity and the report shows that since the late 1980’s the Ecological Footprint Index exceeds the Earth’s bio-capacity by about 25% i.e. the resources are being used up faster than they can be replaced. Both of these indices show overload of the Earth System. The fact is that by 2050 humankind’s resource utilization will be twice the amount the Earth System can sustain and this will lead to ecosystem collapse.
The WWF recognizes that decreasing the human population is one part of the problem and families that choose to have fewer children should be supported. “Offering women access to better education, economic opportunities, and health care are three proven approaches to achieving this”. Reducing per capita consumption, increasing efficiency in the production of goods and improved land management are other offered solutions.
For anyone concerned about the Earth System and it’s future the report is a necessary acquisition: like many I now download such .pdf reports and archive them on DVD as part of my digital reference library. Please read the report for it concerns the whole of humankind.
Get the report: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/living_planet_report_2008.pdf
George F. Hart, 291008
*The WWF’s stated mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:
- conserving the world’s biological diversity
- ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
- promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.