Australia 'a giant in using up planet'
Pastor Dale Morgan
Australia 'a giant in using up planet'*
By Rob Taylor
October 24, 2006 05:42pm
Article from: Reuters
AUSTRALIANS soak up more scarce resources than almost any other nation
and produce so much waste on average that their mark on the world's
ecology exceeds China, the environmental group WWF said today.
The average Australian used 6.6 "global" hectares to support their
developed lifestyle, ranking behind the US and Canada, but ahead of the
United Kingdom, Russia, China and Japan.
"If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do here in
Australia, we would require three-and-a-half planets to provide the
resources we use and to absorb the waste," said Greg Bourne,
WWF-Australia chief executive officer.
Australia and the US have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which
obliges about 40 nations to cut emissions by at least 5.2 per cent below
1990 levels by 2008-12, saying it is unfair because developing nations
are exempt.
But that refusal meant Australia used more energy, food, timber and land
per person than any of its regional neighbours, including New Zealand,
Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand, WWF's Living Planet Report 2006 said.
Emerging powerhouse China used 1.6ha per person, while India used 0.8ha,
WWF said.
With Australia in the grip of its worst drought on record and most
cities facing tough water restrictions ahead of summer, the environment
watchdog said water shortages in the world's driest inhabited continent
were partly the result of over-consumption.
"The report confirms why it is that we are experiencing the kinds of
problems we are right now, such as critical water shortages, the
unprecedented decline of species, stressed fisheries and land
degradation," Mr Bourne said.
At current levels of global consumption, WWF said, humanity would be
using two planets' worth of natural resources by 2050. Between 1961 and
2003 mankind's global footprint had tripled.
"As a planet, we are living beyond our ecological means," WWF said.
Bourne called on Australia's Government to set a greenhouse gas emission
reduction target of 30 percent by 2030 and end land clearing, which in
turn pushes the pace of climate change.
Australia and the United States are pushing for voluntary measures to
cut emissions, and stronger co-operation on clean technology, under a
six-nation climate initiative also involving South Korea, Japan, China
and India.