Resource depletion

Since 1950, worldwide economic growth has been considerable, and world production of goods and services has multiplied by a factor of seven. During the same period, oil consumption has multiplied by seven, and carbon dioxide emissions, the main cause of the greenhouse gas effect and global warming, by four. Since 1900, fresh water consumption has multiplied by six, chiefly to provide for agriculture.
 
  MYTH BUSTER
 
True or false?
The manufacturing of concrete has the largest impact on the natural environment of all construction materials.
FALSE!
Research conducted by Natural Resources Canada for Forintek Canada Corp. rated the Extent, Intensity, Duration and

Significance of impact on the environment associated with the resource extraction for steel, timber and concrete. Concrete was found to have the lowest impact.

More information
 
The Ecological Footprint methodology developed by WWF attempts to measure natural resource consumption. The calculated footprint compares nature's estimated ability to renew these resources. The world's ecological footprint is the total area required to produce the food and fibre mankind consumes, absorb the waste from energy consumption and provide space for infrastructure. According to the WWF report in 2004:
 
"In 2001, humanity's Ecological Footprint exceeded global biocapacity by 0.4 global hectares per person, or 21%. This global overshoot began in the 1980s and has been growing ever since... In effect, overshoot means spending nature's capital faster than it is being regenerated."
 
Resource consumption in UK construction
Over 400 million tonnes of resources are consumed by the construction industry each year, suggesting that greater scope for waste reduction, reuse and recycling exists. 10% of this 400mt figure is unused virgin product going straight to landfill or dispersed into the environment.
 
At a 2007 dti Sustainable Construction workshop delegates were told that around 91mt of waste comes from construction. In addition, it has been estimated by VIRIDIS that a further 60mt of waste is generated by the construction products manufacturing industry. Therefore, the responsible management of resources is of prime importance to an industry wishing to be stewards of the environment.
 
Managing resources efficiently also makes good business sense. AMEC have estimated that the cost of waste on a construction site is £1,343 per skip.
Links to further information

  

References

WWF, Living planet report 2004, WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland, 2004

VIRIDIS, The construction industry mass balance: resource use, wastes and emissions, 2002