The Accidental Reality

The BBC published a report on global consumption on October 24th. It claims that if the entire world were to consume goods at the same level as the UK, three planets would be needed to sustain that much consumption. In the report, it said that 31% of terrestial species declined between 1970 and 2003 because the planet could not keep up with the rate of consumption allowing for a natural cycle that replenishes resources. It goes on to say that if humans keep consuming at this level until 2050, humans would be consuming twice as much as the planet could provide. The eventual result would be the collaps of biodiversity.

As apocalyptic as this article may sound, there have been several stories about a large ecological footprint in the past. Scientists and researchers have been letting people know about this problem for years. As I recall, this article prompted Prime Minister Tony Blair to take action on the issue. It seems that it takes dark and dangerous numbers that are real to get attention from the people to act. It seems that these concepts do not seem real to many until they actually materialize as Blair's action has shown. Do ideas and predictions that sound too much like science fiction or a Hollywood movie get brushed to the side and its only when its too late that people decide to act?