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The project's Synthesis Report (downloadable PDF file), first in a series of eleven documents and published yesterday, explains the objective: "to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and to establish the scientific basis for actions needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems and their contributions to human well-being."

It then goes on to report on four main findings:

• Changes over the last 50 years to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel, have effected substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth.


• Net gains in human well-being and economic development are offset by growing costs, in the form ecosystem degradation, improportional or unpredicatable changes, and worsened poverty for some groups. Unless addressed, these problems will substantially diminish the benefits that future generations obtain from ecosystems.


• Ecosystem degredation could grow significantly worse over the next 50 years, presenting a barrier to meeting UN Millennium Development Goals.


• The challenge of reversing the degradation while meeting increasing ecological demands can be partially met under some scenarios, but only with significant changes in policies, institutions and practices -- changes that are not currently under way.

"This has resulted in substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth," he said.

It is unclear what this will this mean to future generations or the possible emergence of new diseases, absence of fresh water and the continuing decline of fisheries and completely unpredictable weather.

With half of the urban populations of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean suffering from several diseases associated with these problems, the death toll is reaching 1.7 million people a year. Entire species of mammals, birds and amphibians are disappearing from the planet at nearly 1,000 times the natural rate, according to the study. Oxygen-depleted coastal waters and rivers result from overuse of nitrogen fertilizer - an effect known as "nutrient loading" which leads to continuing biodiversity loss.

With the United States' non-participation in the Kyoto Treaty, former U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth, president of this U.N. Foundation, says "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."

"At the heart of this assessment is a stark warning," said the 45-member board.

Sources:

• "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report". Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, March 30, 2005


• "About the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment". Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, March 30, 2005


• "Press Release: Experts Warn Ecosystem Changes Will Continue to Worsen, Putting Global Development Goals At Risk". Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, March 30, 2005


• "Our Living Planet: Prescription for change". Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 30, 2005


• "A productive, but taxed, Earth". The Christian Science Monitor, March 30, 2005


• "Earth has suffered irreversible damage: study". CTV.ca News, March 30, 2005


• "Planet Under Pressure". BBC News Online, October 1, 2004

• "Scientific Facts on Ecosystem Change". GreenFacts.org, viewed March 31, 2005


• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project "Synthesis Reports". Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project, viewed March 31, 2005


• Wikipedia article on ecology


• Wikipedia article on Global warming

The world could use more dialogue about its differences -- a little understanding goes a long way. There are many online forums where people with different perspectives yell at each other and hurl abuse. There aren't so many where completely different points of view are expressed rationally and constructively. That's why The World Forum was created.