Jo attempts to juggle 'three planet' lifestyle

12.35.09pm GMT Fri 3rd Nov 2006

Carbon emissions per capita in the UK are over three times higher than the global average

Jo Swinson may be used to juggling her workload, but this week WWF challenged her to juggle three planets at an event in Parliament to highlight the changes needed to sustain 'One Planet Living'.

The event aimed to show that the UK is using more than its fair share of natural resources and emitting more CO2 than the planet can absorb, while also raising awareness about how One Planet Living can be easy, affordable and attractive.

Jo said:

"There is a great deal we can do in our everyday lives to reduce our impact on the environment. Simple steps like cutting down on using our cars for short journeys and switching our televisions off from standby can help make all the difference.

"If the Queen's Speech in two weeks' time does not set out plans for a Climate Change Bill to set targets for stabilising and reducing the UK's Ecological Footprint, serious questions will have to be asked about the Government's green credentials."

WWF says Government has an important role to play in helping people live within the planet's natural capacity. Our homes, our communities and our lifestyles - what we buy and consume, the energy we use and what we do with our waste, all have an impact on our environment. If everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK as a whole, we would need three planets to support us.

A recent report by WWF has shown that the world's natural ecosystems are being degraded at a rate unprecedented in human history. The Living Planet Report 2006 showed that we were using the earth's resources 25 per cent faster than they can be renewed.

Related Links:

One Planet Living

WWF