Our Living Planet: Prescription for change

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment -- a massive four-year study by 1,300 scientists from 95 countries -- found that 60 percent of the world's resources are at critical levels or are being used up. The resources at stake are the basics of life -- water, food, timber, clean air and a predictable climate.

"These (ecosystem) changes have resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss to the biological diversity of the planet," said Walter Reid, the study's director, at yesterday's London launch of the United Nations-backed report.

"Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel," the report said. "This has resulted in substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth."

The report predicts the consequences of environmental degradation will include the emergence of new diseases, inadequate clean water supplies, continued collapse of fisheries and dramatic changes in regional climates.

Half the urban population in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean suffer from one or more diseases associated with inadequate water and sanitation, the report said. The death toll is 1.7 million people per year.

Species extinction of mammals, birds and amphibians is speeding up at a rate of as much as 1,000 times higher than the natural rate. Biodiversity loss is likely to be caused primarily by climate change and by "nutrient-loading," the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers that pollute waters and create oxygen-void "dead zones" in rivers and coastal waters.

"The report makes clear that it is still possible to ease the strains on our planet by making significant changes in policies, institutions, behavior, technology and knowledge," said former U.S. Sen. Timothy Wirth, president of the U.N. Foundation. "U.S. leadership is critical in providing much-needed expertise, technological capabilities and ingenuity to restore ecosystems. We can take steps at home to reduce our nation's adverse impact on the global environment."

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is like a physical exam for the Earth -- and doctors have prescribed significant changes in behavior. These warnings are too important to ignore.

On the Web: www.millenniumassessment.org


Will the United States take the U.N.-sponsored Earth report seriously?
59.4% There will be lip service but no action, like the Kyoto Treaty.	9.2% We shouldn't do anything, the U.S. will be fine.
29.7% It's time to push harder and spend money to protect our children's future.	1.7% Don't know or don't care.
Total Votes: 303