WWF warns of dire impact of world's over-consumption

AFP, October, 2006

GENEVA (AFP) — The world's population will be using twice as many resources as the planet can produce within 50 years unless there is immediate change in the way humanity lives, the environmental group WWF said in a report. "We are in serious ecological overshoot, consuming resources faster than the earth can replace them," said WWF Director General James Leape.

"The consequences of this are predictable and dire. "The cities, power plants and homes we build today will either lock society into damaging over-consumption beyond our lifetimes, or begin to propel this and future generations towards sustainable living," he added. The "Living Planet" report, a balance sheet of the world's environment published every other year, showed relentless growth in demand on the earth's...