Environmental issues such as climate change have been the main theme of almost every global or regional high-level international meeting in recent years. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in its fourth report in November 2007 that climate change is becoming a major threat to the eco-environment and the human society's sustainable development.
Indeed, the threat to environment is a very pressing issue. And what is so alarming is that it is accelerating. Scientists pointed out recently that the Arctic ice and glaciers in Antarctica are melting so fast that this summer will enter the chronicles as the one with the least snowfall in recorded history. If the current trend continues the Artic summer will be iceless in 30 years' time.
Because over 90 percent of Earth's total ice reserves is located in the polar areas, it would cause the sea level to rise faster if the polar ice melts at an increasing pace and bring horrific calamities to the coastal regions throughout the world. Because the icy surfaces of the polar areas serve as two giant mirrors to reflect about 90 percent of sunlight on Earth, a growing amount of solar energy will be absorbed directly by land and the oceans as the polar ice caps disappear, speeding up the global warming process as a result.
Today developed countries, with only 15 percent of the world's population, dumps more than half of the carbon dioxide the world emits every year into the atmosphere. From 2000 to 2004 most of the eco-disasters caused by problems such as global warming happened in developing nations with the poor people there accounting for 98 percent of the 260 million victims worldwide annually.
One out of every five children living in the poorest regions of the world perishes before they turn five because of environmental pollution. The UN 2007/2008 Human Development Report points out: Decades of achievements by developing nations in eradicating poverty would be wasted if no immediate action is taken (to address the environmental issues) and may even set them back some years.
The per capita consumption of oil, coal and food in the US is 1,000, 500 and eight times that of Africa respectively. Poor people suffer the most from global warming even though they have never enjoyed the rich life that generates a lot of greenhouse gas.
Energy conservation and environmental protection are creating an enormous opportunity for development and businesses but only a small number of politicians are able to make environmental protection a priority in economic development, be they in developing or developed nations.
