Scotland facing ecological credit crunch
Published 29 October 2008
Scotland is heading for an ecological credit crunch as we continue to consume natural resources at three times the rate that the planet can renew them. Scotland ranks 15th equal in the global league of 160 nations on ecological footprint, the same score as the UK as a whole.
The Living Planet Report 2008 released today shows that the scale of this ecological debt will soon become unpayable unless we take urgent action. Populations of the world's key wildlife species have declined by 30% over the past 35 years, while humanity's footprint has increased by 150% since 1961. The report, which is the world's leading statement of the planet's health, also shows more and more countries are slipping into a state of permanent or seasonal water stress.
For more information and commentary on the Living Planet Report, check the article in today's Guardian .