EDITORIAL
New global ecology study calls for action

A report commissioned by the United Nations and released last week paints a grim picture of the Earth's environmental future.

According to the U.N.'s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, here's what we can expect: a dire lack of water, particularly in poorer countries; more dead zones in the world's oceans; an increase in the extinction of species; and not enough food to feed all of the world's people by 2050.

It raises serious concerns, as it should, about what sort of world we will be leaving to our children, grandchildren and their children as well.

The 1,300 scientists involved in the global study say these problems will become all too real, unless we act now. Clearly, this is not the first warning bell we've heard on the need to protect our increasingly fragile environment. Global climate change continues to be a pressing issue worldwide.

But this report makes clear that humans are the danger to our world's future, unless we change our ways.

And if the need to protect our environment is not incentive enough, these scientists also note that if we continue to let our ecosystem be degraded, we could no longer sustain progress in eliminating poverty and hunger and improving health.

Here's how Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, put it in a BBC report: "This report is essentially an audit of nature's economy, and the audit shows we've driven most of the accounts into the red."

We are all stakeholders. And one lesson from this report is that we must all do our part to make the world a better place.

Indeed, there is much we can do to make a difference in that regard.

First, take the time to be informed. A copy of this latest study is available online at: www.millenniumassessment .org.

Let businesses and government know you expect them to be good stewards of our environment.

And become a good steward yourself. Reduce air pollution and save energy by carpooling or riding the bus. Choose energy-efficient automobiles and appliances. Recycle paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. Choose products with less packaging, and with packaging that can be recycled. Properly dispose of hazardous materials. Reduce use of herbicides and pesticides.

Together, we can all make a difference.