As negotiations are still underway for the final draft of the Rio+20 summit on global sustainability which runs June 20-22 in Rio, the scientists overseeing the discussions are voicing a warning: You can't tackle global sustainability without focusing on the root causes of Population and Consumption.
The Rio+20 Earth summit must take decisive action on population and consumption regardless of political taboos or it will struggle to tackle the alarming decline of the global environment, the world's leading scientific academies warned on Thursday.Rich countries need to reduce or radically transform unsustainable lifestyles, while greater efforts should be made to provide contraception to those who want it in the developing world, the coalition of 105 institutions, including the Royal Society, urged in a joint report.
Nobody has wanted to talk about the politically and socially charged terms. They are aware that the rich nations don't want to talk about curtailing their consumption and the poor nations don't want the stigma of irresponsible population growth. It's very difficult to talk about reducing consumption. I know. I've been talking about the importance of reducing meat consumption here for several years and I can't tell you how many times I've had the standard comment; "You will have to pry a burger from my cold dead hands" People resent being told that their consumption is responsible for some big problems. But the truth is over consumption of meat is a major cause of climate change and affects us all whether we eat meat or not. So our consumption is affecting the rest of the world is a very negative way.So this has been what has been stalling global action on climate change for the last few decades. The haves want to continue to have it all and the have nots are looking for some of the action and/or some protection from the fall out of the over consumption of the haves . This is the attitude that is destroying our habitat.
Many in the scientific community believe it is time to confront these elephants in the room. "For too long population and consumption have been left off the table due to political and ethical sensitivities. These are issues that affect developed and developing nations alike, and we must take responsibility for them together," said Charles Godfray, a fellow of the Royal Society and chair of the working group of IAP, the global network of science academies.In a joint statement, the scientists said they wanted to remind policymakers at Rio+20 that population and consumption determine the rates at which natural resources are exploited and Earth's ability to meet the demand for food, water, energy and other needs now and in the future. The current patterns of consumption in some parts of the world were unsustainable. A sharp rise in human numbers can have negative social and economic implications, and a combination of the two causes extensive loss of biodiversity.
Are we ready to tackle over consumption in the US? Or are we waiting until 'someone' somewhere 'makes us do it'. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed”Mahatma Gandhi