An interesting way of looking at the trend of human impact on the planet

[GliderGuider]

All the underlying numbers are normalized to be 100% in 2009.

In 1900 we had about 5% of the impact on the planet that we do today, and each person had about 1/4 the impact they do today.
In 1950 we had about 15% of the impact on the planet that we do today, and each person had about 1/2 the impact they do today.
In 1980 we had about 50% of the impact on the planet that we do today, and each person had about 3/4 the impact they do today.

It's no wonder that the "human system" of global industrial civilization is starting to feel a little creaky and fragile these days...

[enough]

1. Interesting graph. Is there a link? (nt)

[GliderGuider]

3. The image link is just a right-click away. The underlying data is here:

It's not part of an article, I just worked the numbers up today and created the graph.

It's based on population and GDP data from Angus Maddison, oil, coal and primary energy usage from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2010, world cement numbers from the USGS database, CO2 data from Mauna Loa, urbanization data for large cities from a http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005WUP_FS7.pdf">United Nations publication (I interpolated the curve from the four time data points they provide).

[prairierose]

2. very interesting....is there a link? n/t

[GliderGuider]

4. I just added one to the image. nt

[Gregorian]

5. That's how I've always looked at it.

Which is why I have been screaming so loud. No Prius is going to help change that. It may slightly alleviate some part of the problem, but not the problem. PROBLEM. Now we see that the emerging new countries are just starting to use petroleum. Even if we engineer our lives for more efficient use of resources, the remainder of the world population is just starting to use their share. The only answer is fewer new humans. And that is tantamount to heresy.

An Inconvenient Truth was really based upon what you have posted. All roads lead to Rome.

[GliderGuider]

6. If this is Rome

There are days I'd much rather be a barbarian...