Another Wake-Up Call

"Each person on earth

now requires

a third more land

to supply his or her needs

than the planet can provide."

That is the depressing conclusion of a sweeping audit of the world's resources by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released today. For all those cretins - including our own prime monster, Harpo - who still pitch sustainable growth and intensity-based emission targets it means their policies are morally, not to mention environmentally, bankrupt.

In fact it's precisely the Harpo sort of leaders that are the UNEP's greatest concern, those that just don't get it.

The report - entitled Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development - concludes that climate change is a global priority that demands political leadership, but there has been "a remarkable lack of urgency" in the response, which the report characterised as "woefully inadequate". From The Guardian:

"The report's authors say its objective is "not to present a dark and gloomy scenario, but an urgent call to action".

It warns that tackling the problems may affect the vested interests of powerful groups, and that the environment must be moved to the core of decision-making.

The report said irreversible damage to the world's climate will be likely unless greenhouse gas emissions drop to below 50% of their 1990 levels before 2050.

To reach this level, the richer countries must cut emissions by 60% to 80% by 2050 and developing countries must also make significant reductions, it says.

It addresses a number of areas where environmental degradation is threatening human welfare and the planet, including water, over-fishing and biodiversity - where the UNEP says a sixth, human-induced, extinction is under way."

It's about time we, and especially those of you with young children, recognized that global warming heel-draggers like Harper are far more menacing to the coming generations of young Canadians than all the drunk drivers combined could ever be. We have to start treating the Harpos, Bushs and Howards like what they really are - a menace to our families and our societies.