Earth 'will expire by 2050

From the article, In a damning condemnation of Western society's high consumption levels, it adds that the extra planets (the equivalent size of Earth) will be required by the year 2050 as existing resources are exhausted. The report, based on scientific data from across the world, reveals that more than a third of the natural world has been destroyed by humans over the past three decades. Using the image of the need for mankind to colonise space as a stark illustration of the problems facing Earth, the report warns that either consumption rates are dramatically and rapidly lowered or the planet will no longer be able to sustain its growing population.

Even if the report is wrong and overstated, there is something that we can all do. First of all read The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. It won't make you change your lifestyle drasically but will allow you to change the way you treat the enviroment around you and make a big difference.

UPDATED

Rachel Cunliffe left a comment that got me thinking about this post. I think that the reason we don't deal with enviromental issues is because of democracy and the voters don't want it. We will vote George W. Bush out of power is the economy isn't doing well and if I or my friends lose their jobs but voters don't generally take enviromental factors into consideration when voting. We blame it on the politicians but they reflect us. It goes deeper than that. The world has watched genocide happening in Rwanda but we were too busy worrying about our own needs to look up and call anyone to stop the slaughter. It really does bother me that we haven't learned to look forward and see the impact of what we are doing, enviromentally, economically, or socially.