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Living Planet Report 2000

Figure 1 shows that the Living Planet Index fell by about 33% between 1970 and 1999. The LPI is the average of three indices which monitor the changes over time in populations of animal species in forest, freshwater, and marine ecosystems respectively (Figures 3-5). (Click the image to view the enlarged version 23KB)
2000 Living Planet Report
If every human alive today consumed natural resources and emitted carbon dioxide at the same rate as the average American, German or Frenchman we would need at least another two earths.

The Living Planet Report 2000 uses, for the first time, a measure of human pressure on global ecosystems known as the 'Ecological Footprint'. It shows the biologically productive area needed to produce the food and wood each country consumes; for towns, roads and other infrastructure; and to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

The area needed to produce the natural resources consumed and absorb the carbon dioxide emitted by the average North American is almost twice the area required by the average Western European, and some five times greater than required by the average Asian, African and Latin American. View our changing footprint over time:

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