Carbon Dioxide Emissions 1990-1995

Save The Climate The planet's weather system, and the entire web of life based on it, face potentially massive long term disruption from climate change. Fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are the main sources of "greenhouse gases". A clear political commitment is urgently required to shift global energy dependence from polluting fossil fuels to abundant clean, renewable energy sources such as solar power. As a first step, industrialised countries should commit themselves at the "Climate Summit" to be held in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997, to legally binding CO2 emission cuts of 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2005. In parallel, there should be a halt to development in these countries of new oil fields, and a removal of taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuels.

Save the Forests

Land clearing and "clearcut" type forestry are devastating the remaining ancient forests, among the richest reservoirs of biological and social diversity on the planet. As forests are degraded and disappear, soil erosion, flooding, desertification and species extinction follow. Climate change is expected to add to forest loss in the next century. Beginning in the industrialised countries, governments must pledge to stop destruction by 2000 of all remaining primary and old growth forests, and to restore degraded forest lands. As part of these efforts, governments should closely monitor the ecological impact of forest companies, promote ecologically responsible forest use, ensure maximum reuse and recycling of wood and wood products, and provide for the full participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in decisions on forest use. In parallel, governments need to commit to tripling, by 2002, the total global area of protected forest areas.

The Fisheries Crisis

Global Fisheries Crisis

The capacity of the worlds fishing fleet greatly exceeds the amount of fish that can be caught on a sustainable basis. In the last 40 years alone, the world's fish catch has increased four-fold. As a result, most of the world's major fisheries are now either depleted, over, or fully exploited. Too many boats especially big ones, chasing too few fish, often using subsidies paid from tax dollars. Governments must commit themselves to protect remaining fish stocks through urgent national, regional and global measures. As a first step OECD governments must reduce total fishing capacity particularly by large scale industrialized fishing vessels, by at least a quarter by 2000. In parallel, there should be a global moratorium by 1998 on any further intensive shrimp aquaculture unless it is both ecologically sound and socially equitable.


The World Production of Synthetic Organic Chemicals

Ban Toxic Chemicals The long-term health and environmental effects of the estimated 70,000 different synthetic chemicals currently in use are largely unknown and untested. About 1,000 new chemicals enter the market every year. Many of these are toxic, are spread globally and concentrate in the food chain, ending up on our dinner plates. In particular, the group of chlorine-based chemicals are known to damage the immune and reproductive system in animals and humans, and pose major risks to developing foetuses. An urgent commitment is necessary to move towards a global system of `clean production', within a generation. As a first step, governments should conclude by 2000 at the latest, a legally binding international treaty banning persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In addition, the export of all hazardous chemical wastes from industrialised to developing countries should be halted immediately through universal ratification of the Basel Convention ban by the end of 1997.

The Radioactive Waste Build Up

No Nuclear Waste After more than 50 years of nuclear power, the radioactive waste produced at every stage of nuclear operations has contaminated the planet's oceans, rivers, land and air - threatening the environment and human health. Over 400 nuclear power reactors in about 30 countries continue to produce ever larger amounts of radioactive waste. Reprocessing plants discharge radioactive waste directly into the oceans adding to the radioactive waste problem. Much of this waste will be radioactive for many thousands of years, but there remains no safe solution for its long-term management. Governments must halt all new reactor construction and begin a phase-out of nuclear power. The highest possible standard of care must be applied in the management of existing wastes, including a ban on all discharges, and application of the "proximity principle" that wastes should be stored as close as possible to their source.

Radioactive Waste Increase with Expansion of Nuclear Power

Save The Future From Nuclear Power The nuclear industry is arguing for a major expansion, supposedly to combat climate change and meet the increasing worldwide demands for electricity. However, such an expansion would entail massive economic costs, while dramatically increasing the risks of Chernobyl-type nuclear accidents resulting in potential radioactive contamination of tens of thousands of people over many years. It would also greatly compound the problems of nuclear proliferation and radioactive waste. As a first step, governments must halt further investments in and subsidies to nuclear power and initiate phase-outs of the existing nuclear power plants. In parallel, they must greatly increase investment in improving energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy such as solar power.

Protect the Genetic Integrity and Diversity of Life

Molecular biology has started to reveal the basic code of life. Applied as genetic engineering technology, this enables genes to be transferred between completely unrelated species and the creation of artificial organisms. However science is still very far from understanding and predicting the consequences of the release of such organisms into the natural environment. Any genetic mistakes or adverse effects encoded into the engineered organisms, can result in "biological pollution", which could spread quickly - and irreversibly - through the natural environment. While natural species are being made extinct at an unprecedented rate as a result of human activities, multinational chemical companies are investing in the creation and patenting of new crops, animals and micro-organisms to make them pesticide resistant or toxic, or simply grow faster or bigger. Apart from the ecological risks of this development, there are commercial and cultural disadvantages for farmers and consumers, who will have reduced crop diversity. Also, the ethical and social implications of increasingly placing the world's food supply in the hands of a few multinationals owning the patents needs urgently to be addressed.

International standards are urgently required to apply the precautionary principle to regulate strictly the use of all genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs). The release of all GMOs into the environment should be prohibited in the Biosafety Protocol of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. Property rights on natural organisms and their genes must be banned under international patent law.