Increasing pressure

 
The standard of living enjoyed by Australians is far beyond that expected even 10 years ago.

The cost of greater consumption is accelerating environmental impacts through increased waste and pollution, loss of biodiversity and greater pressure on limited natural resources. Many resources are being consumed faster than they can be renewed, or are finite, such as oil. This is the essence of unsustainable production and consumption.

Our environment under pressure

• Household consumption has increased 152 per cent since 1960. (1)
• Since 1975, total energy use in Australia has risen by 107 per cent.(2)
• The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 classifies listed threatened species into six categories - extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and conservation dependent. Since the introduction of the EPBC Act, the number of threatened fauna rose by nearly 25 per centfrom 318 to 399 in 2007. Almost half (49 per cent) were vulnerable, 32per cent were endangered, and 14 per cent were presumed extinct or extinct in the wild in 2007.(2)
• Australians are among the highest water users in the world. Water use in and around the home accounts for 70 per cent of Sydney's total water consumption.  Nationwide, households are the second largest user of mains water after agriculture.(3)
• In New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory combined, water consumption was 5,978 GL during 2004–05 compared to 8,783 GL in 2000–01. In 2004–05, the highest consumer was the agricultural industry with 4,134 GL or 69 per cent of water consumption.(4)

The rapidly expanding market for ‘green’ and socially responsible products demonstrates increasing community concern and awareness about the health and environmental impacts of unsustainable consumption. This is driving change in the way governments and industry do business. Key drivers include:

• a trend toward government policies that shift responsibility to producers making them more accountable for their impacts
• risk to finances and reputation arising from use of unsustainable business practices (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, poor labour practices)
• greater networking and increasingly sophisticated tactics by social, environmental and shareholder advocacy groups
• rising costs associated with resource acquisition, processing, transport and disposal.

While some of us may have a greater capacity to promote sustainability (e.g. the CEO of a major corporation), all of us can play a role in reducing the environmental impact of production and consumption. There are many actions which we can take as individual consumers, concerned citizens, members of industry or as government officers or agencies.

Sources:

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics 4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2007
2 Australian Bureau of Statistics 4613.0 2007
3 Our Environment - It's a Living Thing
4 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account 2004–05 4610.0