Why?

Measuring how much stuff we use
20 May 2010

People in the developed world consume up to 10 times more natural resources than those in the poorest countries. This is affecting millions of lives and putting our planet at risk.

Why is resource use a problem?

Our lives depend on natural resources. But we're using them up too fast - we can't go on consuming the way we are.

Over-consumption is already leading to collapsing eco-systems. It's also driving up prices for things like food, land and basic materials. Those price rises affect the world's poorest most severely.

Consumption and climate change

Resource use is a major cause of climate change.

Mining minerals and felling trees and turning them into products releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Clearing forests to grow food and biofuels is also a big contributor to climate change.

Many communities are feeling the effects of pollution and species-loss because of resource extraction.

What we want to do

Friends of the Earth believes measuring our resource use is the first step to reducing it.

That's why we're pushing the European Union to start counting.

Using these four indicators we'll be able to see the true cost of what we use - wherever it comes from in the world:

  • Materials use
  • Total land use
  • Water use
  • Greenhouse gas emissions

Once we understand the real impact of our lives on our planet we can begin reducing it.