Our environment is getting worse: Living Planet Report 2012

This footprint calculator is interactive. Have a play to see how your country compares with the others.

The eighth Living Planet Report compiled by WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network has just been released. It represents a collection of data on the ecological footprints of each country and the status of resources such as water and forests. It also examines changes in populations of 2,688 animal species, with the latest available data coming from 2008.

The sad truth? 20 years from the first Rio Summit, the environment of the planet is getting worse. Here are some startling facts -

- Biodiversity has declined globally by about 60 percent between 1978 and 2008; By 60 percent in the tropics.

- The loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services particularly impacts the world's poorest people who directly rely on these services for their survival.

- Demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 and we are currently using the equivalent of 1.5 planets to support our activities. 

- 'Business as usual' projections estimate that we will need the equivalent of two planets by 2030 to meet our annual demands.

- High income countries have a footprint 5 times that of low income countries.

The saddest thing? Nature is the basis of our well-being and prosperity.

This link will take you to an article about the report and this link will take you to the website itself. Finally, have a quick read of the summary report here and the full report here.


I hope you had a play with the Footprint calculator above. You can search for different countries and filter according to the different factors that change the ecological footprint of a country. 

We still have an obligation to our future generations. We must act. Fast. 
Get involved in Rio+20 and be a part of the change you want to see in the world.