10.09.06

Ecological Debt

Posted in Environment at 9:38 pm by site admin

Check out this article with a brief discussion on how mankind is straining the earth. The whole peak oil and farm land discussions aren’t new. I’m not sure if these are newer issues or not, but I’ve been reading more and more about fresh water and fishing. The article did point out the waste in trade:

Nef highlighted the energy wasted in trade. In 2004, for example, Britain exported 1,500 tons of potatoes to Germany and imported the same amount. We sent 10,200 tons of milk and cream to France and imported 9,900 tons.

so how much do we actually waste? The article says the US-lifestyle would require 5 planet earths. Too bad astronomers haven’t been able to find any more earths out there. Perhaps we need to renew our look at the moon or mars. (No fish on the moon…..)

Consumption is particularly profligate in the West, where individuals consume air-freighted food, buy hardwood furniture, enjoy foreign holidays and own cars. Global Footprint estimates the world would need five planet Earths to sustain a global materialistic society such as that in the US while almost three would be needed for the UK.

Permalink