Here’s the word from Bob Parks’ great e-letter, “What’s New,”October 26, 2007 edition; I’ve highlighted some stuff:
2. ENVIRONMENT: MAJOR U.N. REPORT SAYS IT’S “UNSUSTAINABLE.” According to a story in the New York Times this morning, a report issued by the United Nations yesterday in Paris is so frightening that French President Nicolas Sarkozy immediately put $1.4 billion into new energy sources and biodiversity. Unsustainable consumption of resources and population growth is taking Earth beyond the point of no return. As an example, the report says, two and a half times as many fish are being caught as the oceans can produce in a sustainable manner. No word yet from Washington on the U.S. response. No steps taken to protect the environment will help in the long run if population continues to grow.
Denialists will start whining in just a few seconds. Three . . . two . . . one . . .
Considering the weather (everywhere), fires in California, droughts in Georgia, the Nobel Peace Prize this year, you’d think this would be front page news. Where did it run in your local paper?
Sources:
- Global Environmentalk Outlook 4 (GEO4)
- Press releases
are not yet available (?!)in English, in .pdf
- GEO4 fact sheets
- Environment Canada press release, “Minister welcomes GEO4 report”
- The Post (Pakistan) — “Report presents less grim picture”
- Times of India – “45,000 sq. miles of forest lost across the world”
- Deutsche Welle story
- Kansas City Star (Bloomberg News)
- Toronto Star
Posted by Ed Darrell 
