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No accountability, no planet

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

A Report from 1,300 leading scientists from 95 countries (March 2005) shows that ecological systems are collapsing everywhere on the planet earth due to unsustainable human activity. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, drew on 22 national science academies from around the world. The scientists found that two-thirds of the ecosystems they studied have suffered damage over the past 50 years. The dryland regions of the world, which account for 41 per cent of the earth's land surface, have suffered most, and yet this is where the human population has grown most rapidly during the 1990s.The report identifies half a dozen possible "tipping points" that could abruptly cause irreversible collapse.

Walt Reid, the leader of the report's core authors, warned that unless the international community took decisive action the future looked bleak for the next generation: "The bottom line of this assessment is that we are spending earth's natural capital, putting such strain on the natural functions of earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted". He added:  "At the same time, the assessment shows that the future really is in our hands. We can reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services over the next 50 years, but the changes in policy and practice required are substantial and not currently under way".

In the opinion of Freedom to Care, reversing this decline is not just a technical, scientific or technological matter - it is above all a matter of the public accountability of governments, transnational corporations, and international agencies. All three do not give proper account for their acts and omissions in relation to global human welfare. Governments are too focussed on local, national and low-priority vote-winning issues. Corporations are too focussed on profits, competitiveness and finance. Official international organisations are often ineffective and bureaucratic. Participatory public action and NGO pressure may be our only hope. If you do not belong to an NGO that demands environmental protection, sustainability and accountability from organisations then it is time you did - for the sake of our grandchildren. We recommend a choice from, for example, Friends of the Earth, GreenPeace, Amnesty International, World Wildlife Fund and, of course, Freedom to Care. We also recommend that each of re-think our life-style: Smaller car (or no car)? Solar Panels at home? Change to Alternative Energy supply for your home? Fly less, especially shorthaul? And raise a voice - to government, to corporations, to international agencies and remind them what is important. No accountability, no planet.

The Tipping Points to Catastrophe

New Diseases

    As population densities increase and living space extends into once pristine forests, the chances of an epidemic of a new infectious agent grows. Global travel accentuates the threat, and the emergence of SARS and bird flu are prime examples of diseases moving from animals to humans.

 Alien Species

    The introduction of an invasive species - whether animal, plant or microbe - can lead to a rapid change in ecosystems. Zebra mussels introduced into North America led to the extinction of native clams and the comb jellyfish caused havoc to 26 major fisheries species in the Black Sea.

Algal Blooms

    A build up of man-made nutrients in the environment has already led to the threshold being reached when algae blooms. This can deprive fish and other wildlife of oxygen as well as producing toxic substances that are a danger to drinking water.

 Coral Reef Collapse

    Reefs that were dominated by corals have suddenly changed to being dominated by algae, which have taken advantage of the increases in nutrient levels running off from terrestrial sources. Many of Jamaica's coral reefs have now become algal dominated.

Fishing Stocks

    Overfishing can, and has, led to a collapse in stocks. A threshold is reached when there are too few adults to maintain a viable population. This occurred off the east coast of Newfoundland in 1992 when its stock of Atlantic cod vanished.

Climate Change

    In a warmer world, local vegetation or land cover can change, causing warming to become worse. The Sahel region of North Africa depends on rainfall for its vegetation. Small changes in rain can result in loss of vegetation, soil erosion and further decreases in rainfall.

2nd April 2005