Britain Starts Eating The Planet

[Guest Charlie The Tramp]

New research reveals that on Sunday 16 April the UK in effect stops relying on its own natural resources to support itself and starts to ‘live off’ the rest of the world. At current UK levels of consumption our ‘ecological debt day’ – the day we begin living beyond our environmental means – falls only a third of the way through the year and has crept ever earlier over the last four decades.

“If the whole world had wanted to share UKlifestyles in 1961, the Earth would just have managed with its available resources – one planet would have been enough,” says Andrew Simms, lead author of the report and nef policy director, “Today, if the whole world wanted lifestyles like those enjoyed in the UK, we would need 3.1 planets.”

UKfood self-sufficiency has hit the lowest point in half a century: The UK’s food self-sufficiency has been falling steadily since the mid-1990s. According to the most recent statistics available, our domestic production of indigenous food now appears to have hit its lowest point for half a century, making us increasingly dependent on imports.

We imported 465 tonnes of gingerbread and exported almost the same volume, 460 tonnes

We sent 1,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes to Germany, and brought in 1,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes back from the same place

We imported 44,000 tonnes of frozen boneless chicken cuts and exported 51, 000 tonnes of fresh boneless chicken

We sent 10,200 tonnes of milk and cream to France, and imported 9,900 tonnes from France

We imported 391,432 tonnes of chocolate and exported 170,652 tonnes

New Economics Foundation

[right_freds_dead]

oh were so global now. 5 penny road is a powerhouse driven from the might of the globe resources.

its not just penny rd anymore. home of the johnsons.

its become a living breathing economic god.

[Guest Charlie The Tramp]

The Ecological Debt Day Calendar.

Calendar

[Crazy88s]

Partly due to ineffcient logistics/econmics (why import the same resource as you export), but mainly in my opinion to an overpopulated island.

In 1961 we were apparently neutral in terms of our resource needs, but then people did not have computers, 2 cars, white goods that get replaced every 3 years etc etc. If we want to live in the manner we are becoming accustomed to there needs to be less of us.

Much less...

[dogbox]

Charlie I asked my wifes freind if she would rather send my Son a birthday card but instead of a present give a sum to charity as he already has more toys than he knows what to do with (and ignores most of em).

She gave me an incredulous look thinking me barmy. She (and most people) just think all this 'stuff' we consume with its attendant batteries and packaging just comes form some never ending pit.

[Viterbi]

We imported 465 tonnes of gingerbread and exported almost the same volume, 460 tonnes

We sent 1,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes to Germany, and brought in 1,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes back from the same place

We imported 44,000 tonnes of frozen boneless chicken cuts and exported 51, 000 tonnes of fresh boneless chicken

We sent 10,200 tonnes of milk and cream to France, and imported 9,900 tonnes from France

We imported 391,432 tonnes of chocolate and exported 170,652 tonnes

The EU is behind this. It is an organisation that wants to see trade and despises self sufficiency. Yes, trade just for the sake of it. Until recently 99.99999% of all fresh milk sold in Britain was British. Now there is a quota on how much milk can be British and the rest has to be imported from somewhere in the EU even as far afield as the Czech Republic.

[homeless]

doesint tell you wHAT IT USES FOR ITS CRITERIA TO WORK OUT ITS DAY DOES IT.

i THINK OF THIS MUCH LIKE THE DOOMONGER RELIGIOUS CULTS

ya need the day sufficiently near enough to destruction to create worry, but far enough away to not be shown up for a sharlotting.

ie what happened to all the cults that said the world will end in the year 2000 ehhhhh

All they people that say the worlds doonsday clock is a second to midnight ect, erm so what exactly is the doomsday clock anyway? who made it and says its accurate and correct anyway this clock?.

Its much better to say something is close than giving a date prediction

To me the people that worked out this date thing are just doing another spin on the old cult thing

[Guest Guy_Montag]

World population has roughly doubled since 1960, not only do we need to calm the excesses of our consumption, but we also need to start giving out free condoms & the pill in developing countries (& treat the vatican & the US religious right with the contempt they deserve).

[Michael]

All my life without knowing any facts about it i have assumed that there are nowhere near enough resources for the world's population of 6,000 million(?) to live like British and American and Australian people do................so this isn't news to me

[Guest Charlie The Tramp]

The British may waste more food than any other nation, throwing out 30-40% of all the produce they buy and grow each year, according to research. Figures collated from the government, supermarkets, processors and farmers show that modern food production methods may appear efficient, "but the reality is that large-scale manufacturing and rigid supply chains are creating very significant quantities of waste".

It is estimated that the wasted food is worth between £8bn and £16bn a year.

The past six months I have noticed at my local Tesco the trolleys are no longer stacked mountain high but at basket level. A sure sign of people watching the pennies and cutting out their past waste.

[BuyingBear]

Some people still believe that our countryside has an overriding purpose, in reality it's just a giant museum.

[Yankee]

Charlie I asked my wifes freind if she would rather send my Son a birthday card but instead of a present give a sum to charity as he already has more toys than he knows what to do with (and ignores most of em).

She gave me an incredulous look thinking me barmy. She (and most people) just think all this 'stuff' we consume with its attendant batteries and packaging just comes form some never ending pit.

When my kids were young and I was struggling a bit financially, I would give them homemade coupon books as gifts. There would be 12 coupons, one for each month of the year, with gifts such as "One night of playing boardgames with Mom. Popcorn and hot chocolate included." or "A bike ride and picnic with Mom and friend of your choice." Some cost me a small amount of money: "Movie with Mom" or "Trip to museum of your choice," but none involved purchasing anything that would later get thrown away.

Now that my kids are grown, most of the toys and other things tha were given to them over the years have been thrown or given away. But the memory of those coupon gifts are always with us.

By the way, I never took my kids shopping as a "reward"--with one exception. When they had an accomplishment to celebrate, or even at times when they were feeling a bit low about something or other, I would take them to a local used book store that they loved and let them choose a book.

It's difficult (maybe impossible) to raise kids these days who aren't swept up in all the consumerism around us. But even with all the peer and commercial pressures out there today, children tend to emulate their parents' values first.

[SarahBell]

Charlie I asked my wifes freind if she would rather send my Son a birthday card but instead of a present give a sum to charity as he already has more toys than he knows what to do with (and ignores most of em).

She gave me an incredulous look thinking me barmy. She (and most people) just think all this 'stuff' we consume with its attendant batteries and packaging just comes form some never ending pit.

There are areas of Africa which are overpopulated with goats and chickens sent by wellmeaning charities.

[Guest Guy_Montag]

There are areas of Africa which are overpopulated with goats and chickens sent by wellmeaning charities.

I heard someone on Today a few months ago, full of righteous indignation, about how bad goats were for the environment in Africa. Apparently they're pretty effective at turning productive land into desert.

[Elizabeth]

When my kids were young and I was struggling a bit financially, I would give them homemade coupon books as gifts. There would be 12 coupons, one for each month of the year, with gifts such as "One night of playing boardgames with Mom. Popcorn and hot chocolate included." or "A bike ride and picnic with Mom and friend of your choice." Some cost me a small amount of money: "Movie with Mom" or "Trip to museum of your choice," but none involved purchasing anything that would later get thrown away.

Now that my kids are grown, most of the toys and other things tha were given to them over the years have been thrown or given away. But the memory of those coupon gifts are always with us.

By the way, I never took my kids shopping as a "reward"--with one exception. When they had an accomplishment to celebrate, or even at times when they were feeling a bit low about something or other, I would take them to a local used book store that they loved and let them choose a book.

It's difficult (maybe impossible) to raise kids these days who aren't swept up in all the consumerism around us. But even with all the peer and commercial pressures out there today, children tend to emulate their parents' values first.

the problem is, these kids that are overburdened with Nike gear and never see their parents (who are often too busy working to pay off the credit card) are also often borderline to actually malnourished. Its an insanity of the greatest proportion where kids have designer footwear with the best ergonomic design for their developing feet but not enough calcium to build their bones.

[SarahBell]

I heard someone on Today a few months ago, full of righteous indignation, about how bad goats were for the environment in Africa. Apparently they're pretty effective at turning productive land into desert.

Can easily imagine it.

Goats eat everything. During a drought then they'll eat anything that manages to survive and any grain imported for the humans too.

[Bubble Pop Electric]

There are areas of Africa which are overpopulated with goats and chickens sent by wellmeaning charities.

Absolutely agreed. Easing your guilt, by throwing money at it. It's either plastic toys - or charity? There's no inbetween?

It's the everyday stuff that should be looked at - not the once a year stuff. Dogbox - i'm not having a go at you, i'm sure you're cautious about where things come from. However charity isn't the answer to easing our consumerism - it's the things we do everyday. It's all very well not getting that extra plastic toy once a year (and admitedly i'm talking about myself here - the consumerism, not the toys), whilst you're shopping at sainsburys every week not giving a toss where the heck things come from, and falling for their "but it's organic" con.

I was aware of the problems with the goats, but there are many things that are confusing.

I now find i'm lost at what to beleive - for example - i can recycle my tins - but they might be made into a tank or a plane!!

How many people might buy something fairly traded Probably from abroad, and fly to faraway destinations a few times a year? Nappies/packaging/things - oh so many little plasticky things. It's so much to think about, and if i am trying to think about what i'm doing - there is the very distinct possiblity that it may well not be right, and i'm causing more harm than good (while i'm smugly thinking that it is ok, and getting all self righteous!)

Having said that i have never flown (and don't intend to - it's nothing to do with the fact i'm scared of flying - honest!)

[right_freds_dead]

When my kids were young and I was struggling a bit financially, I would give them homemade coupon books as gifts. There would be 12 coupons, one for each month of the year, with gifts such as "One night of playing boardgames with Mom. Popcorn and hot chocolate included." or "A bike ride and picnic with Mom and friend of your choice." Some cost me a small amount of money: "Movie with Mom" or "Trip to museum of your choice," but none involved purchasing anything that would later get thrown away.

we used to make our own top trumps.

potato top trumps was my favourite. jersey royal being the potato top supertrump.