from today's Melbourne 'Age':

Australia gorging on resources
By Stephanie Peatling
October 22, 2004

Australia is one of the most resource-hungry countries, with energy use catapulting it into the top four global consumers.

The amount of land it takes to sustain each person is now 7.7 hectares. The global average is 2.2 hectares.

The fifth annual Living Planet report, prepared by the international conservation group WWF, has found Australia is outranked only by the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Kuwait.

Energy use was the main reason why Australia's overall ecological "footprint" is so large. It accounts for more than half the hectares it takes to support each person.

This is largely because most energy comes from coal-fired power stations which produce high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The emissions not only contribute to global warming but also require greater areas of vegetation to absorb them.

The report says that although the average global footprint is 2.2 hectares per person, there is only 1.8 hectares of land available for every living person.