Planetary biodiversity zone

We have shown that several events have contributed to the planetary state of emergency:

In the chaos after the magnitude 7.9 earthquake in China, which made 5 million homeless, many survivors were separated from their families. Burma was hit by a cyclone at the beginning of the month of May, leaving over two million persons in need of emergency relief. Thousands of children and parents have been separated. Nowadays, natural and human made disasters have become more frequent and require a rapid response to help.

The planetary state of emergency is showing us that humanity needs and wants are so destructive to itself and to all life on Earth that something significant must be done to protect this amazing life heritage, not just for ourselves but the next generations. Over the last Century humanity has been depleting the natural capital of Earth, rich agricultural soils, its groundwater stored during ice ages, and its biodiversity. Overpopulation and increasing per capita consumption are major reasons for the depleting of resources. Politicians and business executives are under the delusion that such a disastrous end to the modern human enterprise and institutions can be avoided by technological fixes that will allow the population and the economy to grow forever. The recent event that brought down the American economy is a signal of desperation, a wake-up call, something has gone very wrong and we need to make things right. People from Wall Street live a dream life. Our current way of life is unsustainable. Our current way of life is unsustainable. We are the first species that will have to self-consciously impose limits on ourselves if we are to survive.

Can we really believe this world can go forward indefinitely, a few decades? We are seeing the end of the era of cheap fossil energy, and there is no viable large-scale replacements for that energy.

The health of the planet is not what Wall Street is showing us. The reality is that we see more trends such as :

We are all members of the Global Community. We all have the duty to protect the rights and welfare of all species and all people. No humans have the right to encroach on the ecological space of other species and other people, or treat them with cruelty and violence. All life species, humans and cultures, have intrinsic worth. They are subjects, not objects of manipulation or ownership. No humans have the right to own other species, other people or the knowledge of other cultures through patents and other intellectual property rights. Defending biological and cultural diversity is a duty of all people. Diversity is an end in itself, a value, a source of richness both material and cultural. All members of the Global Community including all humans have the right to food and water, to safe and clean habitat, to security of ecological space. These rights are natural rights, they are birthrights given by the fact of existence on Earth and are best protected through community rights and global commons. They are not given by states or corporations, nor can they be extinguished by state or corporate action. No state or corporation has the right to erode or undermine these natural rights or enclose the commons that sustain all through privatisation or monopoly control.

Conservation, restoration, and management of the Earth resources is about asking ourselves the question of "Who owns the Earth?" The large gap between rich and poor is connected to ownership and control of the planet's land and of all other Earth natural resources. We, the Global Community, must now direct the wealth of the world towards the building of local-to-global economic democracies in order to meet the needs for food, shelter, universal healthcare, education, and employment for all. The Global Community has proposed a democracy for the people based on the fact that land, the air, water, oil, minerals, and all other natural resources rightly belong to the Global Community along with the local communities where those resources are found. The Earth is the birthright of all life. The Global Economic Model proposed by the Global Community is truly the best response to the world.

Global Community fundamentals concerning the question of "Who owns the Earth?" has been integrated into our global economic system that stipulates:

Since year 1985 the Global Community has organized the Global Dialogue to probe the Peoples of the world, people from all nations, as to what it will take to make living on Earth sustainable, now and for the next generations. Results were published in our Proceedings.

Global Rights year one is a new impetus of the Global Community to educate everyone about the need for a change in thinking and of doing things amongst all nations. We need to realize what is a priority, what is the most important, and what is the least important for our survival. We need to make hard choices. We need a clear vision. We need a common vision. And we must all change! There are many important aspects of our lives we can no longer do, or should never do anymore. They are destructive. Humanity and all life can no longer afford activities that destroy life and the global environment, and certainly the military is a major one. And there are other activities we must do, thousands of them, to assure the survival of life on Earth. In view of the planetary state of emergency, which we declared a shorth while ago, we all must change, we must do things differently to give life on Earth a better survival chance.

And this is what Global Rights year one is about: to establish global fundamentals and a clear vision to follow, and to offer the people of all nations the Global Movement to Help.

Perhaps the Scale of Human and Earth Rights represents the strongest pillar of our vision.

In 1985, the Scale of Human and Earth Rights was first proposed as a replacement to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After several decades of research and development, many global dialogues, we still find the Scale as the best solution to global problems. The Scale has now been titled the Scale of Global Rights.

Today, we are presenting once more the Scale as the best educating tool to bring about the change the people of the world need to achieve for their own survival.

Global rights are defined in details in the section the Scale of Global Rights.

Now the Scale of Global Rights is a long term solution and is also a part of the Global Movement to Help of the Global Community. The Scale was designed to help all life on Earth. What would be preferable is that nations unite amongst themselves to help. Over time, we have seen the creation of the United Nations, the European Union, the South American Community of Nations, and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Except for the UN, these organizations are mainly concerned with trade and economics. The Global Community offers a more meaningful union in the form of nine or more Global Governments. For instance the South American Community of Nations can be a Global Government by simply accepting the Global Constitution as a way of dealing between member nations. A Global Government is concerned not only with economics and trade, but also with the environment, health, agriculture, energy, food, social, cultural and many other essential aspects.

The Global Community found evident that the ecological base is the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness and exercise of all rights recognized for human beings. The stewardship of the ecological base has to be given priority before the fulfilment of various economic and social wishes. Demands resulting from the socio-economic system of a particular country have to find their limits in the protection of the global ecosystem. Vital interests of future generations have to be considered as having priority before less vital interests of the present generation. Supply chains have to be designed in a way, that the goods can enter after usage or consumption into natural or industrial recycling processes. If serious damages to persons, animals, plants and the ecosystem cannot be excluded, an action or pattern of behaviour should be refrained from. A measure for supplying goods or services should choose a path which entails the least possible impact on the ecological and social system concerned. This way functioning proven systems will not be disturbed, and unnecessary risks will not be taken. Supply strategies consuming less resources should have preference before those enhancing more resource consumption. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as opposed to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss.

The Global Community was the first in defining 'a nation', 'a global community' with respect to the concept of global rights. A nation is defined primarily by its people, its communities; arts, history, social, languages, religious and cultural aspects included. Fundamentally a nation or a state is defined as "a politically unified population occupying a specific area of land".

A global community has a well defined criteria based on global symbiotical relationships. And it does not require the occupation of a specific area of land. These relationships allow a global equitable and peaceful development and a more stable and inclusive global economy.

The definition of the Global Community is:

"The Global Community is defined as being all that exits or occurs at any location at any time between the Ozone layer above and the core of the planet below."

Oceans, lakes and streams

Earth is mostly covered with oceans. Though generally recognized as several 'separate' oceans, these waters comprise one global, interconnected body of salt water forming the Global Ocean. This concept of a global ocean as a continuous body of water with relatively free interchange among its parts is of fundamental importance to the Global Community. The major oceanic divisions are defined in part by the continents, and various archipelagos. These divisions are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean (which is sometimes subsumed as the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans), and the Arctic Ocean (which is sometimes considered a sea of the Atlantic). The Pacific and Atlantic may be further subdivided by the equator into northerly and southerly portions. Smaller regions of the oceans are called seas, gulfs, bays and other names. There are also some smaller bodies of saltwater that are on land and not interconnected with the Global Ocean, such as the Aral Sea, and the Great Salt Lake – though they may be referred to as 'seas', they are actually salt lakes.

The Global Ocean is a body of saline water, and the principal component of the hydrosphere. Average oceanic salinity is around 35 parts per thousand (ppt) (3.5%), and nearly all seawater has a salinity in the range of 30 to 35 ppt. Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface (an area of 360 million square kilometers) is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas. The area of the Global Ocean is 350 million square kilometers, its volume is approximately 1.2 billion cubic kilometers, and its average depth is 3,800 meters. Nearly half of the world's marine waters are over 3,000 meters deep. The total mass of the hydrosphere is about 1.4 × 1010 kilograms, which is about 0.022% of the Earth's total mass. Less than 2% is freshwater; the rest is saltwater, mostly in the Global Ocean.

Great ocean currents swirl around the Earth, many of them thousands of kilometres long. Some are warm currents, some are cold. These currents have an enormous effect on the world's weather systems. Oceans also have layers of water at different temperatures.

The Global Ocean has a great impact on the biosphere. The evaporation of these oceans is how we get most of our rainfall, and their temperature determines our climate and wind pattern. The Global Ocean serves many functions, especially affecting the weather and temperature. Oceans moderate the Earth's temperature by absorbing incoming solar radiation (stored as heat energy). The continuously moving ocean currents distribute this heat energy around the globe. This heats the land and air during winter and cools it during summer.

Oceans support the greatest variety of life on earth, from microscopic plankton to giant whales. The deepest parts of the oceans have barely begun to be explored, and new life forms are being discovered every year by deep ocean submersible machines.

Life within the ocean had already evolved 3 billion years prior to the movement of animal and plant life on land. The oceanic food chain begins with microscopic drifting plants called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are found close to the surface of the water where there is adequate sunlight for photosynthesis.

Phytoplankton are eaten by tiny floating animals known as zooplankton. Zooplankton include the larvae of crabs, jellyfish, corals and worms, as well as adult animals like tiny shrimps, copepods and euphausiids (krill).

Moving up the food chain, zooplankton provide food for fish. Big fish eat smaller fish and at the very top of the food chain are large predatory fish like sharks, mammals like seals, and seabirds. A very large fish, the whale shark, and some very large mammals, the baleen whales, feed directly on zooplankton.

Millions of people on all continents depend on fish for food. That is why it is so important that fish populations are conserved. Overfishing by huge modern fishing fleets is threatening the entire ocean food chain.

Coral reefs, which grow in warm tropical and subtropical seas, are perhaps the richest marine habitat in terms of the diversity of life they shelter. Coral reefs are so rich in animal life they have been called the ‘rainforests of the sea’. A great variety of small colourful fish live around the reef as well as animals like nudibranchs (sea slugs), sea anemones, sea urchins and starfish. Many people mistakenly believe that coral reefs are made of rock. In fact, coral reefs are made by millions of tiny animals called coral polyps. They have a soft, sac-like body with one end closed and the other opening at a mouth surrounded by tentacles with stinging cells. Each coral polyp secretes a hard limestone skeleton. Millions of these cases make up the structure of the reef.

There are more than 21,000 species of fish, of which most live in the oceans. Fish are classified into 2 main groups - fishes without jaws (hagfish and lampreys) and fishes with jaws.

The jawed fishes are further divided into those with skeletons made of cartilage (sharks, chimaeras, skates and rays) and those with bony skeletons (all the rest, including herring, cod, flounders and barracudas).

Fish have evolved to live in all kinds of marine habitat, from the cold dark ocean depths to surface waters. Some fish - sharks, marlins, swordfish, and tunas - are very fast swimmers and efficient predators which cover thousands of km each year.

Other kinds of fish such as the flat flounders and plaice move slowly over the ocean bed where they feed on molluscs and worms. Colourful coral reef fish tend to stay close to their territory on the reef.

The deep ocean floor supports a special community of animals. Although seaweeds grow from the sea floor near coasts, it is too dark at the bottom of the deep ocean for plants to live. Some organisms living here look a little like plants but actually they are animals like sponges, sea mats, sea anemones, and sea squirts.

Some creatures crawl over the bottom or burrow beneath it. They include lobsters, crabs, prawns, starfish, brittlestars, featherstars, and many kinds of sea slugs and worms. Finally, there are the bottom-feeding fish such as rays, turbots, halibuts and gurnards.

Much of the ocean is so deep that no light penetrates. Many fish that live at such depths have developed light-emitting organs that signal other fish or attract prey. The lantern fish has a row of lights long its body and the angler fish swims around with a lighted rod that attracts other fish, which are then quickly swallowed!

Despite their huge size, the oceans have been greatly affected by human activity. Pollution and overfishing are two major concerns.

The Arctic is one of the most beautiful and forbidding places on Earth, where temperatures regularly plunge well below zero and the time between sunset and sunrise is sometimes measured in months rather than hours. Yet despite these difficult conditions a variety of people and animals have adapted to thrive at the top of the world, including vibrant communities and iconic animal species.

The Arctic Ocean is facing incredible pressures. As goes the Arctic, so goes the planet. There is no single Arctic treaty, so it is up to the Global Community to save this vital part of our planet.

Global warming refers to a period of increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans. It is generally used to refer to the increase currently occurring, and to imply "as a result of human activity". The more neutral term " climate change " is used for periods of increase or decrease, or indeed change in non-temperature variables, with no particular implication of human cause. The Earth's climate system is inherently unstable and global warming can precipitate sudden climate shifts as have been discovered to have occurred within the Earth's recent past. Because climate change will likely continue in the coming decades, denying the likelihood or downplaying the relevance of past abrupt events could be costly.

Global warming findings predict that increased amounts of CO₂ tend to increase the greenhouse effect and thus cause a man-made global warming. The widespread opinion that there is currently a warming phase and that the increased carbon dioxide amounts are a major contributor to it has led to widespread support for international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol which aim to regulate the release of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Despite its small concentration, CO₂ is a very important component of Earth's atmosphere, because it traps infrared radiation and enhances the greenhouse effect of water vapor, thus keeping the Earth from cooling down. The initial carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the young Earth was produced by volcanic activity; this was necessary for a warm and stable climate conducive to life. Volcanic activity now releases about 145-255 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Volcanic releases are about 1% the amount which is released by human activities. Atmospheric CO₂ has increased about 30 percent since the early 1800s, with an estimated increase of 17 percent since 1958 (burning fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum is the leading cause of increased man-made CO₂ , deforestation the second major cause).

Various scenarios of future emissions due to human activities predict that increased atmospheric concentrations equivalent to a doubling of CO₂ by 2100 is unavoidable, and a tripling or greater by that time is a distinct possibility.

The magnitude of the natural greenhouse effect can be determined by observations of the atmosphere's radiation balance and surface temperatures. Both the atmospheric concentrations and current anthropogenic emissions of other greenhouse gases are orders of magnitude smaller than that of carbon dioxide. However, per unit of emission, these gases have a much larger climatic effect than carbon dioxide. Each kg of CFCs and fully fluorinated compound emitted today, for example, can have an accumulated global warming potential (GWP) over the next century many thousands times greater than that of a kg of CO₂. Global increases in concentrations of methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, CFCs and other minor gases have added about 70% to the climatic effects of CO₂ increases alone. Continued emissions of these gases in the future will significantly advance the timing of climate forcing equivalent to a doubling of CO₂, perhaps before 2050.

Oceans add considerable inertia to the climate system, slowing it down, and hence increase the time it takes the system to respond to change. Responsive change in ocean circulation patterns, such as the thermohaline circulation system that controls the behaviour of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, can also significantly modify the primary changes in atmospheric circulation.

Greenland ice cores and ocean sediments confirm that such modifications can have dramatic effects on regional climates, effects that may occur within the space of decades, and can last for centuries. Hence oceans add an additional major element of irreversibility, on human time scales, to global climate change. The Earth's oceans dissolve a major amount of carbon dioxide. The resulting carbonate anions bind to cations present in sea water such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ to form deposits of limestone and dolomite. Most carbon dioxide in the atmosphere eventually undergoes this fate.

Oceans represent a major sink for carbon. Oceans take CO₂ up through chemical and biological means. Chemically, ocean waters absorb CO₂ by the formation of carbonic acid:

CO₂ + H₂O ========= H₂CO₃

The double-headed arrow on this equation indicates that this is an equilibrium reaction. Hence, as CO₂ in the atmosphere increases, more is taken up by the oceans, "pushing" the reaction towards formation of H2CO3 (carbonic acid). Cold water holds more CO₂ in solution than warm water. This cold, CO₂-rich water is then pumped down by vertical mixing to lower depths.

Oceans also take up CO₂ biologically, largely through photosynthesis of plankton and other algae. This "fixed" carbon is eventually removed from the water by biochemical processes (for example, the algae are eaten by shell fish, which die and sink to the ocean floor, eventually forming carbonates and entering the long term geochemical cycle.

Oceans hold 50-60 time more carbon in various forms than does the atmosphere, which holds it mostly as CO₂. The ratio is about 50 molecules of CO₂ in the ocean for every one in the atmosphere. Some parts of the ocean are major sinks; such as the North Atlantic during the spring plankton bloom (population explosion). On the other hand, some areas of the oceans are net sources, such as the equatorial Pacific. On balance, however, oceans are net sinks for carbon.

Temperature increases may have caused CO₂ concentrations to increase. This is because of effects of temperature increases on biological processes and changes in ocean circulation (or vice versa).

The oceans are currently taking up more carbon than they are releasing, but we don't know how rapidly they can take it up in response to increases in atmospheric CO₂ concentration. There is much uncertainty in estimates of what fraction of extra CO₂ emissions the oceans are really taking up.

Oceans were estimated to be taking up about half of the excess CO₂ put into the atmosphere by human activities.

That is:

14.4 trillion kg of CO₂/year input to the atmosphere from ALC + fossil fuel burning, and

8.6 trillion kg of CO₂/year as net ocean net uptake
(ALC = anthropogenic land conversion)

Fossil fuel burning and land conversion will contribute to CO₂ emissions and the oceans were estimated to be taking up about 48% of the human-influenced flux into the atmosphere.

Estimates put the net input to the atmosphere at 30 trillion kg of CO₂ (from ALC and fossil fuel burning). Of that, about half (14.4 trillion kg) are estimated to stay in the atmosphere, with a net influx into the oceans of 8.6 trillion kg. (Net influx means ocean uptake in excess of its giving off of CO₂ back to the atmosphere).

Notice anything wrong here? 30 trillion kg into the atmosphere and only a total of 23 trillion kg accounted for! The remaining 7 trillion kg represents the "missing carbon mystery!" If 40-50% of the carbon emissions stay in the atmosphere and 15-30 % go into the oceans, what happens to the remaining 20 - 35%?

There are several ways the oceans can take CO₂. Mixing and the biological pump are two of them. For now let us focus on how CO₂ is taken by the terrestrial system through the biological carbon cycle.

Historically, CO₂ taken up in the biological carbon cycle was approximately equal to the CO₂ released. The global production of carbon fixed by plants was then equal to the global ecosystem respiration that comprised respiration by plants plus respiration by all other living things on land. On a global basis, there was no net flux of carbon to or from the atmosphere, and there was not net change in carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems (globally). Unfortunately, human activities have recently been converting forested landscapes to grazed, cultivated, or urban landscapes.

The biological carbon cycle on Earth was then balanced.

No net gain or loss of CO₂, and the biomass of the Earth was constant.

However, during the carboniferous era, there was a net increase in biomass (carbon storage). Much of the biomass became our fossil fuels.

Today there is a net loss of biomass through:

a) deforestation and land use conversion
b) worldwide burning of fossil fuels

Photosynthesis, is the process by which green plants and certain other organisms use the energy of light to convert carbon dioxide and water into the simple sugar glucose. In so doing, photosynthesis provides the basic energy source for virtually all organisms. An extremely important byproduct of photosynthesis is Oxygen, on which most organisms depend.

Photosynthesis occurs in green plants, seaweeds, algae, and certain bacteria. These organisms are veritable sugar factories, producing millions of new glucose molecules per second. Plants use much of this glucose, a carbohydrate, as an energy source to build leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. They also convert glucose to cellulose, the structural material used in their cell walls. Most plants produce more glucose than they use, however, and they store it in the form of starch and other carbohydrates in roots, stems, and leaves. The plants can then draw on these reserves for extra energy or building materials.

Virtually all life on earth, directly or indirectly, depends on photosynthesis as a source of food, energy, and Oxygen, making it one of the most important biochemical processes known. It is a part of the global life-support systems and is a right that needs protecting at all costs. The right and responsibility that human beings have in protecting photosynthesis has the highest importance on the Scale of Global Rights.

Forests contribute to absorbing carbon dioxide and act as CO₂ sinks. Conversely, deforestation largely in tropical countries is a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere. CO₂ releases from deforestation are about 1/6 of sources from fossil fuel combustion. Not all the CO₂ is absorbed by the atmosphere; part of the CO₂ is absorbed by oceans, and part by forests through the process of photosynthesis.

Water vapour and clouds are some the most important atmospheric constituents of climatic significance that cause about two-thirds of the Earth's natural greenhouse effect. Changes in the concentrations of water vapour has major influences on the radiative fluxes of both incoming sunlight and outgoing heat radiation. Such changes are largely controlled by the response of the hydrological cycle to other forces upon the thermal properties of the climate system, and hence are not primary causes for change. Indeed, the most significant atmospheric components that can be changed by both natural and human influences external to the climate system are other greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide and methane, and aerosols.

There are important findings obtained from research done so far:

*     a doubling of CO₂ will affect the average surface temperatures to be between 2.0 and 5.5°C;

*     the rate of average global warming due to increasing greenhouse concentrations is in the range of 0.5 to 1.0°C per decade;

*     both the oceans and land surfaces will warm up, land areas warm more than oceans; greatest warming being in high northern latitudes in winter;

*     in winter, higher latitudes will see more precipitation and soil moisture;

*     in response to melting land ice and increasing ocean temperatures, global sea levels are expected to rise about 3 to 10 cm/decade;

*     terrestrial and ocean ecosystems will experience increasing stress; many species will not be able to adapt fast enough to change done by global warming; changes in ocean temperatures and circulation patterns will alter fish habitats, causing collapse of some species and migration of others;

*     land use conversion (deforestation and others) and increased forest fires in stressed ecosystems and the gradual decay of Arctic permafrost will cause large increases in greenhouse gas emissions from natural ecosystems; these factors will accelerate further the global warming;

*     changes in global precipitation will cause droughts and increased aridity in some agricultural regions, wetter conditions and increased flooding in others; distribution of global food supply will be affected and developing nations will find more difficult to produce or obtain food;

*     as ocean surfaces warm up, frequency and severity of extreme regional weather systems will be more frequent and cause intense rainfall, droughts and heat spells, severe storms, including hurricanes, especially in mid-latitude regions; and

*     climate sensitive diseases will follow the warming.

A consequence of a warmer climate is a rise in global mean sea-level. Several countries will be more susceptible to inundations. We will see hundreds of millions of environmental refugees searching for land.The mid-latitude wheat belts of the planet will dry; forest fires will wipe out most of the forests; world food markets will have to adjust to help a starving population. Tourism and wildlife in the tropics will be seriously affected by a temperature that is just too hot.Tropical diseases will cause epidemics. Sub-Arctic communities will disappear because of the melting of the permafrost.

Major changes in evaporation and precipitation patterns will not adjust quickly enough to supply the population with water it needs to survive; agriculture will become a dying industry either because of too much water or not enough of it. In addition to an increase in ambient temperatures, the other possible consequences of global warming include a speeding of the global water cycle. It is predicted that faster evaporation caused by higher temperatures would lead to drying of soils, exacerbating drought in some areas while increasing precipitation and flooding in others.

Warmer temperatures could melt polar ice caps, leading to what some predict as a rise in sea levels of between 20 to 100 centimeters this century. Sea levels could rise by an average of 5 cm per decade. This, in turn, would endanger coastal populations and island nations and cause the degradation of coastal ecosystems. Low-lying and coastal areas face the risks associated with rising sea levels. Increasing temperatures will cause oceans to expand and will melt glaciers and ice cover over land - increasing the volume of water in the world’s oceans.

If these predictions prove true, human health will be affected directly as warmer temperatures increase the chances of heat waves, exacerbate air quality problems and lead to an increase in both allergic disorders and warm weather diseases. Agriculture, forests, natural ecosystems and vegetation patterns would also be adversely affected by both increases in temperatures and changes in the water cycle.

Adding to this problem of climate change, warmer temperatures, is the melting of the Polar Cap due to the U.S.A. military exploding nuclear war heads to melt the Polar Cap and glaciers. All nations capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life on Earth must be disarmed and pay for the independent global investigation. The United States is the only nation that would profit from the melting of the North Pole and is capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life. Blood resources.

(1) Remove a large sink for atmospheric carbon (because forests take up and store larger amounts of carbon than do other terrestrial ecosystems). Tropical and temperate rainforests have been subjected to heavy logging during the 20th century, and the area covered by rainforest around the world is shrinking rapidly. Estimates range from 1 1/2 acres to 2 acres of rainforest disappear each second. Rainforests used to cover 14% of the Earth's surface. This percentage is now down to 6% and it is estimated that the remaining rainforests could disappear within 40 years at this present rate of logging. Further estimates suggest that large numbers of species are being driven extinct, possibly 50,000 species a year due to the removal of their habitat. The largest rainforests can be found today in the Amazon basin (the Amazon Rainforest), the inner parts of Democratic Republic of Congo and on Borneo.

(2) Add a large source for atmospheric carbon (when the trees decay or are burned, releasing carbon). About 80% of the wood removed during tropical deforestation is destroyed (burned or decayed) or used as fuel wood, so the carbon stored in it is released rapidly as CO₂, as opposed to the delayed slow release that occurs when used for lumber.

A mature forest stores a large amount of carbon. When cut, it is often replaced by an ecosystem that stores less carbon, resulting from this land conversion. It was estimated that the net input of CO₂ to the atmosphere from ALC was about 1/4 as much as from fossil fuel burning (1.3 billion metric tons of carbon per year compared to 5 billion metric tons of carbon per year from fossil fuel combustion). Most of this increased flux now comes from tropical Africa and Asia, but until about 1920, North America actually provided the largest ALC flux to the atmosphere.

There is much uncertainty concerning the magnitude of fluxes associated with tropical deforestation, and whether it does in fact represent a net flux. The current range of estimates for fluxes from tropical deforestation is from 1.1 - 3.6 billion metric tons of C/year, which would be between 20-65% as much as from fossil fuel emissions. Quite a huge spread in estimates! Most estimates agree that between 1/5 -1/3 of the increased flux of CO₂ to the atmosphere results from deforestation.

Deforestation is the removal of trees, often as a result of human activities. It is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Trees remove carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis. Both the rotting and burning of wood releases this stored carbon carbon dioxide back in to the atmosphere.

A rainforest is a biome, a forested area where the annual rainfall is high. Some mention 1000 mm of rain each year as a limit of what is a rainforest, but that definition is far from complete. Rainforests are primarily found in tropical climates, although there are a few examples of rainforests in temperate regions as well. As well as prodigious rainfall, many rainforests are characterized by a high number of resident species, and a great biodiversity. It is also estimated that rainforests provide up to 40% of the oxygen currently found in the atmosphere.

Forests store large amounts of CO₂, buffering the CO₂ in the atmosphere. The carbon retained in the Amazon basin is equivalent to at least 20% of the entire atmospheric CO₂. Destruction of the forests would release about four fifths of the CO₂ to the atmosphere. Half of the CO₂ would dissolve in the oceans but the other half would be added to the 16% increase already observed this century, accelerating world temperature increases. Another impact of tropical rainforest destruction would be to reduce the natural production of nitrous oxide (NO). Tropical forests and their soils produce up to one half of the world's NO which helps to destroy stratospheric ozone. Any increase in stratospheric ozone would warm the stratosphere but lower global surface temperatures.

Dense tropical forests also have a great effect on the hydrological cycle through evapotranspiration and the reduction of surface runoff. With dense foliage, about a third of the rain falling on the forest never reached the ground, being re-evaporated off the leaves.

Locally, deforestation results in:

a decrease in:

# evapotranspiration, # atmospheric humidity, # local rainfall, # effective soil depth, # water table height, # surface roughness (and so atmospheric turbulence and heat transfer)

an increase in:

#seasonality of rainfall, # soil erosion, # soil temperatures, # surface albedo

Global warming and agriculture

The weather conditions - temperature, radiation and water - determine the carrying capacity of the biosphere to produce enough food for the human population and domesticated animals. Any short-term fluctuations of the climate can have dramatic effects on the agricultural productivity. Thus, the climate has a direct incidence on food supply.

Demographic studies indicate that world population growth is expected to slow markedly in the next century, increasing 10 billion people by 2050. Hence, in the coming years, unless population size is stabilized, agriculture will have to face an increasing challenge in feeding the growing population of the world. World population will also have to face the perspective of global climate changes.

Assessment of the impacts of global climatic changes on agriculture might help to properly anticipate and adapt farming to limit potential food shortage. Agricultural shifts are likely.

Several types of changing parameters can have an impact on agriculture:

*     a direct effect is the composition of the earth atmosphere: CO₂ and Ozone.

*     some indirect effects are climate parameters resulting from climate change: temperature, insolation, rainfall, humidity

*     other indirect effects are the side effects due to the climatic changes:
increase of the sea level, changes in ocean currents, tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms...

The assessment of these effects is different whether one considers annuals crops (cereals, leguminous) or herbaceous perennial cultures (fodder, meadows) or other cultures such as vine or fruit trees... The effects are also different depending on the latitude: in temperate countries, effects are found less negative or even rather beneficial, while in tropical and desertic countries they tend to be adverse. Finally, effects depend on altitude, mid and high altitude places rather benefiting from a warmer temperature. Climate change induced by increasing greenhouse gases is likely to affect crops differently from region to region.

Climate change is likely to increase agricultural land surface near the poles by reduction of frozen lands. Sea levels are expected to get up to one meter higher by 2100, though this projection is disputed. Rise in sea level should result in agricultural land loss in particular in South East Asia. Erosion, submergence of shorelines, salinity of water table, could mainly affect agriculture through inundation of low-lying lands.

Agriculture could be affected by any decrease in stratospheric ozone, which could increase biologically dangerous ultraviolet radiation. In the long run, the climatic change could affect agriculture in several ways:

*     productivity, in terms of quantity and quality;

*     agricultural practices, through changes of water use (irrigation), agricultural inputs (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers);

*     environmental level, in particular in relation of frequency and intensity of soil drainage (leading to nitrogen leaching), soil erosion, reduction of crop diversity; and

*     rural space, through the loss of previously cultivated lands, land speculation, land renunciation, hydraulic amenities.

They are large uncertainties to uncover, particularly the lack of information on the local scale, the uncertainties on magnitude of climate change, the effects of technological changes on productivity, global food demands, and the numerous possibilities of adaptation.

Most agronomists believe that agricultural production will be mostly affected by the severity and pace of climate change, not so much by gradual trends in climate. If change is gradual, there will be enough time for biota adjustment. Rapid climate change, however, could harm agriculture in many countries, especially those that are already suffering from rather poor soil and climate conditions. The adoption of efficient new techniques (varieties, planting date, irrigation...) is far from obvious. Some believe developed nations are too well-adapted to nowadays climate. As for developing nations, there may be social or technical constraints that could prevent them from achieving sustainable production.

However, the more favourable effects on yield depend to a large extent on realization of the potentially benefiting effects of CO₂ on crop growth and increase of efficiency in water use. Decrease in potential yields is likely to be caused by shortening of the growing period, decrease in water availability and poor vernalization.

Water is a major limiting factor in the growth and production of crops worldwide. In spite of better water efficiency use, higher summer temperature and lower summer rainfall is likely to have adverse impact. The intensification of the hydrological global cycle will have consequences such as more frequent drought in northern sub-tropical areas or desertification extension in arid areas. Soil degradation is more likely to occur, and soil fertility would probably be modified.

A soil constant is its carbon/nitrogen ratio. A doubling of carbon is likely to imply a higher storage of nitrogen in soils, thus providing higher fertilizing elements for plants, hence better yields. The average needs for nitrogen could decrease, and give the opportunity of changing the fertilisation strategies. The increase in precipitations would probably result in greater risks of erosion, according to the intensity of the rain. The possible evolution of the soil organic matter is a very debated point though: while the increase in the temperature would induce a greater mineralisation (hence lessen the soil organic matter content), the atmospheric CO₂ concentration would tend to increase it.

Global climate change potential impact on pests, diseases and weeds

A very important point to consider is that weeds would undergo the same acceleration of cycle than cultivated crops, and would also benefit of carbonaceous fertilization. Most weeds being C3 plants, they are likely to compete even more than now against crops such as corn. However some results make it possible to think that weedkillers could gain in effectiveness with the temperature increase.

The increase in rainfall is likely to lead to an increase of atmospheric humidity and maybe to the duration of moisturing. Combined with higher temperatures, these could favor the development of fungal diseases.

Climate change has the potential to have serious effects on our health.

Regional differences in warming patterns, precipitation and extreme weather events mean that the health effects of climate change will vary according to where we live. Young children, the elderly, those in poor health, or those living in poor quality housing will be most vulnerable to stresses related to weather extremes.

More intense heat waves may cause an increase in heat-related illnesses (heat stroke and dehydration); respiratory and cardiovascular illness, physical and mental stress; and the spread of infections.

During the next 50 years, heat-related deaths will increase, particularly in large cities in southern Canada, unless adequate measures are taken to protect vulnerable individuals and to reduce the urban heat island effect. This effect occurs when natural vegetation is replaced by surfaces that absorb heat, such as building roofs and walls, and pavements. For example, the City of Toronto has already begun to protect vulnerable people during heat waves, and to take measures to reduce heat buildups within the city.

Air Quality

Warmer temperatures and prolonged heat waves will bring an increase in air pollution, particularly in urban and industrialized areas. Ground-level ozone, a primary ingredient of smog, results when sunlight and heat interact with pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants are released by the burning of fossil fuels. As temperatures go up, we will have more smoggy days.

Asthma and other respiratory problems are already on the rise; warmer temperatures with increased humidity and air pollution will cause more problems. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution because of their smaller size, the fact that their lungs are still developing, and because they spend more time being active outdoors than adults. Hotter, more humid weather could pose special health risks for children who already suffer from asthma. Changes in wind and weather patterns can also change the amount of fungi and moulds in the air, affecting people with allergies.

Infectious diseases

Warmer temperatures could increase the range of some parasites and disease transmitted by birds, insects and ticks, bringing new infectious diseases to communities they would not otherwise reach. The recent extremely rapid and unexpected spread of West Nile virus across the US and Canada can in part be attributed to a warmer climate. Climate change might also favour the northward spread of mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria.

A warmer climate may bring about changes to habitats that will allow rodents to move into new areas. Some rodents can transmit illnesses, such as hantavirus, to humans through their feces or urine.

Extreme climate events will affect the quality and quantity of our water. Lower flows of water in lakes and rivers caused by heat waves and droughts can lead to poor water quality and to an increase in waterborne diseases. Surface water is also often contaminated during heavy storms and floods by storm sewer overflows, and agricultural & urban runoffs.

Hot weather can cause microorganisms to grow and cause outbreaks at recreational beaches and in shellfish. It also increases the chances of food poisoning outbreaks.

Canada's Northern Peoples

The livelihood of many Aboriginal and northern residents comes from the land, water and natural resources, and will be compromised as ecosystems and wildlife are affected by climate change over time. In the north, melting permafrost could put buildings, pipelines, roads and other infrastructure at risk. Winter roads to remote Aboriginal communities may no longer be available or available only for shorter periods, thereby increasing the cost of supplying these communities.

Canada's three Territories are already observing impacts from climate change on their communities. There have been changes in sea ice cover affecting their hunting and fishing seasons, changes in temperature causing dehydration and heat stress, and changes in wildlife causing food-borne contamination and altering their traditional ways of life.

We can best store excess carbon by:

*     land use changes from agriculture to forest ecosystems; this change could remove CO₂ from the atmosphere at rates of 2000 to 20,000 kg of CO₂ per hectare per year for periods of 50 years;

*     soil conservation practices can help build up carbon reservoirs in forest and agricultural soils; and

*     extracting CO₂ from stacks and dispose of it in liquid form in underground reservoirs or deep oceans.

What we must do

What we must do to protect life and create a planetary biodiversity zone
Reduce human population size A primary cause of ecosystem destruction and species extinctions is the human overpopulation that already far exceeds ecologically sustainable levels. Total world population, now at 6.7 billion, is inexorably climbing by 75 million a year. Every additional human is an environmental “user” on a planet whose capacity to provide for all its creatures is size-limited. In all lands the pressure of numbers continues to undermine the integrity and generative functioning of terrestrial, fresh water, and marine ecosystems. Our human monoculture is overwhelming and destroying Nature’s polycultures. Country by country, world population size must be reduced by reducing conceptions.
Educate our children on the ethics that value life species Educate our childrenn on the ethics that value life species over consuming resources without restraint, and condemn the social acceptance of unlimited human fecundity. Present need to reduce numbers is greatest in wealthy countries where per capita use of energy and Earth materials is highest. A reasonable objective is the reduction to population levels as they were before the widespread use of fossil fuels; that is, to one billion or less. This will be accomplished either by intelligent policies or inevitably by plague, famine, and warfare.
Ban overconsumption of Earth resources The greatest threat to the planetary biodiversity zone is the ever-increasing appropriation of the planet’s goods for exclusive human uses. Such appropriation and over-use, often justified by population overgrowth, steals the livelihood of other organisms. The selfish view that humans have the right to all ecosystem components – air, land, water, organisms – is morally reprehensible. It is wrong. Global Rights were researched and developed for all life on our planet, not just for ourselves as human beings. Unlike plants, we must kill to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves, but this is no license to plunder and exterminate. The accelerating consumption of Earth’s vital parts is a recipe for destruction of ecodiversity and biodiversity. Wealthy nations armed with powerful technology are the chief offenders, best able to reduce consumption and share with those whose living standards are lowest, but no nation is blameless. The eternal growth ideology of the market, and Wall Street, must be renounced, as well as the perverse industrial and economic policies based on it. One rational step toward curbing exploitive economic expansion is the ending of public subsidies to those industries that pollute air, land or water and/or destroy organisms and soils. A philosophy of symbiosis, of living compliantly as a member of Earth’s communities, will ensure the restoration of productive ecosystems.
Promote global governance Concepts of governance that encourage over-exploitation and destruction of Earth’s ecosystems must be replaced by those beneficial to the survival and integrity of the Global Community. Everyone is asked to help. A body of environmental law and regulations that confers legal standing on the Global Community’s vital structures and functions is required. Country by country, ecologically responsible people must be elected or appointed to governing bodies. Appropriate attorney-guardians will act as defendants when ecosystems and their fundamental processes are threatened. Issues will be settled on the basis of preserving ecosystem integrity, not on preserving economic gain. Over time, new bodies of global law, policy, and administration will emerge as embodiments of the 21st Century life philosophy of the Global Community. Implementation will be the work of the Global protection Agency (GPA).
Education and leadership are needed We all have a duty to spread the word by education and leadership. The initial urgent task is to awaken all people to their functional dependence on Earth’s ecosystems, as well as to their bonds with other species. We must all participate in Earth-wise global community activities, each playing a personal part in sustaining the marvelous surrounding reality. By promoting a quest for abiding values – a culture of compliance and symbiosis with our living planet – it fosters a unifying outlook. By spreading the ecological message and emphasizing humanity’s shared outer reality, will open a new and promising path toward international understanding, harmony, cooperation, stability, and peace.

There is a growing awareness that the unrestrained growth of populations should pay for itself. Taxes and utility costs must escalate in order to pay for the growth. In addition, growth brings increased levels of congestion, frustration, and air pollution. In recent years, several industrialized nations have seen taxpayer revolts in the form of ballot questions that were adopted to limit the allowed tax increases. The revolts have been in the nations that claimed to be the most prosperous because they had the largest rates of population growth. These limits on taxes were felt to be necessary to stop the tax increases that were required to pay for the growth. Unfortunately the growth has managed to continue, while the schools and other public agencies have suffered from the shortage of funds. Communities can slow their population growth by removing the many visible and hidden public subsidies that support and encourage growth.

It clear that there will always be large opposition to programs of making population growth pay for itself. Those who profit from growth will use their considerable resources to convince the community that the community should pay the costs of growth. In our communities, making growth pay for itself could be a major tool to use in stopping the population growth.

Nations experiencing decreases in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) are nations that are very different from each other racially, religiously, and politically, implying that the drive to stabilize populations is a global movement. It is being realized that more people now means less of everything else now and for generations to come, and that more people simply cause additional strain on already-strained resources. In fact, decreasing fertility is an important part of an economic development strategy.

What happens to the idea of the dignity of the human species if this population growth continues at its present rate? It will be completely destroyed. Democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive overpopulation. Convenience and decency cannot survive overpopulation. As you put more and more people onto the world, the value of life not only declines, it disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies, the more people there are, the less one person matters.

Having reached 6.7 billion in 2008, human population continues to grow. It was estimated that the population of the world in year 2050 will be 9,084,495,405. UN population projections for the year 2050 range from 7.9 billion to 10.9 billion, suggesting the extent to which we can influence our future. More people and higher incomes worldwide are multiplying humanity 's impact on the environment and on natural resources essential to life. Based on these trends, it is clear that the 21st century will witness even greater pressures on natural resources. Current demographic trends offer hope, however. Over the past 40 years the average number of children born to each woman has fallen from five to less than three. Young people increasingly want to wait to have children and to have smaller families. Policymakers have a choice. They can do nothing, or they can help ensure that in the 21st century the world 's population peaks with fewer than 8 billion people, simply by committing the financial resources to meet the needs of couples who want to have smaller families, later in life.

In some regions of the world where the TFR is low there are large numbers of old people and fewer young persons. This has been of increasing concern to the governments of many of these nations, including the Zero Population Growth nations. Because these rates are at (or below) Replacement Level Fertility (RLF), populations in these nations have either stopped growing (in the case of many of the European nations) or will soon, after passing through the lag introduced by their age structures. These regions of the world are not expected to contribute significantly, if at all, to future population growth.

Many of the nations with high and relatively unchanging TFR's have several features in common:

they are still largely agricultural,
there is much social inequity and poverty, and
women are held in very low status and poorly educated (for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, 49% of women between the ages of 20 and 24 years are illiterate (for women older than 25 year, the illiteracy rate is 75%!)

People in such nations often do not understand that more children in their families and societies is actually an impediment to progress, feeling instead that many children constitute an advantage. Finally, some of these regions still have a large unmet demand for contraception, and relatively high rates of infant and child mortality.

Clearly the environmental challenges facing humanity in the 21st century and beyond would be less difficult in a world with slower population growth or none at all. Population is a critical variable influencing the availability of each of the natural resources considered here. And access to family planning services is a critical variable influencing population. Use of family planning contributes powerfully to lower fertility, later childbearing, and slower population growth. Yet policymakers, environmentalists and the general public remain largely unaware of the growing interest of young people throughout the world in delaying pregnancies and planning their families. In greater proportions than ever, girls want to go to school and to college, and women want to find fulfilling and well-paid employment. Helping people in every country to obtain the information and services they need to put these ambitions into effect is all that can be done, and all that needs to be done, to end world population growth in the new century.

Reproductive health services can help. Voluntary family planning and other reproductive health services can help couples avert high-risk pregnancies, prevent unwanted childbearing and abortion, and avoid diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, that can lead to death, disability, and infertility.

Comprehensive reproductive health services, especially care in pregnancy and childbirth and for sexually transmitted infections, are key to preventing disability and death and improving women's health. Better access to emergency care during childbirth and safe abortion services would also contribute significantly to lower maternal death rates. Family planning diminishes risks associated with frequent childbearing and helps reduce reliance on abortion.

An important obstacle to couple negotiation of contraceptive use and protection from STDs including HIV is that most women have unequal access to resources and decision-making. Yet women are more vulnerable to the consequences of unplanned pregnancies and often HIV/STI's. For these reasons, countering the prevailing gender stereotypes that increase risky behaviors and decrease couple communication is a key strategy for promoting good reproductive health.

Individuals, too, can help bring about a world that is more secure and more supportive of life, health and happiness. They can educate themselves on population dynamics, consumption patterns and the impact of these forces on natural resources and the environment. They can be socially, politically and culturally active to elevate the issues they care about. They can become more environmentally responsible in their purchasing decisions and their use of energy and natural resources. And individuals and couples can consider the impacts of their reproductive decisions on their communities and the world as a whole.

The world's forests provide goods and services essential to human and planetary well-being. But forests are disappearing faster today than ever before. Due both to deforestation and human population growth, the current ratio of forests to human beings is less than half what it was in 1960. Yet we not only need more forests, we need forests more than ever before–to protect the world's remaining plant and animal life, to prevent flooding, to slow human-induced climate change, and to provide the paper on which education and communication still depend. More efficient consumption of forest products and eventual stabilization of human population–a prospect that appears more promising today as birthrates decline–will be needed to conserve the world's forests in the coming millennium.

Population dynamics are among the primary underlying causes of forest decline. Poverty, corruption, inequitable access to land and wasteful consumption practices also influence the decisions of governments, corporations and individuals to cut and clear forests. The interaction of these forces is most evident in areas such as South Asia, Central America and sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty, rapid population growth and weak institutions contribute to forest loss and severe environmental degradation.

The dominant force in forest loss is growth in the demand for farmland. Subsistence agriculture is the principal cause of forest loss in Africa, Asia and much of Latin America. Slash-and-burn farming and other traditional techniques were sustainable for centuries when population densities were lower. Today they are a major factor, along with the expansion of commercial farms and livestock grazing areas, in the permanent conversion of wooded land to agriculture. The need to increase food production is expected to accelerate the forest-to-farmland cycle, especially in countries where alternatives for meeting this demand are limited.

A typical American uses 15 times as much lumber and paper as a resident of a developing country. Reducing wood consumption in the industrialized world is unlikely to stop forest loss in developing countries however, since most of the wood consumed comes from trees in the industrialized countries themselves. Nevertheless, the consumption model offered to the rest of the world threatens accelerated forest loss as both populations and economies grow in developing countries.

Population policies based on human development and the Scale of Human and Earth Rights offer the greatest hope for the future of forests. This is not an argument for population "control" but for the social investments that allow couples to choose when to have children and how many to have. Programs linking conservation activities with family planning services show promise for achieving both the sustainable use of forests and greater acceptance of reproductive health services.

Sustainable wood consumption is essential for the future of forests. Individuals and institutions alike should promote the ecologically sound and socially responsible use of forest products. Eco-labeling, or the environmental certification of wood products, could speed the adoption of more sustainable forestry practices. Consumer demand for green-certified paper and other wood products is an important complement to recycling and other efforts to reduce wood consumption.

The rate of world population growth is beginning to decline, but the total number of people could still double or even triple from today’s 6.7 billion before stabilizing a century or more from now. Women in most countries are still having more than the two-child average consistent with a stable population size. Moreover, so many young people are now entering or moving through their childbearing years that even a two-child average would still boost population size for a few decades until the momentum of past growth subsides. Yet there is reason for optimism. The combination of access to family planning and other reproductive health services, education for girls and economic opportunity for women could lower birthrates enough to stabilize world population well before a doubling of today’s total.

Motivation, rather than differential access to modern contraception is a major determinant of fertility. Individuals frequently respond to scarcity by having fewer children, and to perceived improved economic opportunity by having more children. Economic development does not cause family size to shrink; rather, at every point where serious economic opportunity beckons, family size preferences expand.

A) Foreign aid conveys to the recipients the perception of improving economic wellbeing, which is followed by an increase in the fertility of the recipients of the aid.

B) Migrations from regions of low economic opportunity to places of higher economic opportunity result in an increase in the fertility of the migrants that persists for a generation or two.

The need is not to control population growth. Governments cannot control childbearing and attempts to do so have sometimes led to coercive approaches to reproduction that violate human rights. The need is rather to expand the power individuals have over their own lives, especially by enabling them to choose how many children to have and when to have them.

The well-being of the world's forests is closely linked to the health and well-being of women. Investing in education for girls helps them to contribute to their national economies–and to postpone childbearing until they are ready for a family. Providing credit and other economic opportunities for women creates alternatives to early and frequent childbearing. Finally, better access to quality reproductive health services directly benefits women and their families. These approaches increase human capacity, providing the greatest long-term return to societies, individuals and the environment. Moreover, they are likely to lead to an early peak in world population in the coming century–quite possibly at levels that can co-exist with forests that teem with human and non-human life for centuries to come.

Comprehensive population policies are an essential element in a world development strategy that combines access to reproductive health services, to education and economic opportunities, to improved energy and natural resource technologies, and to healthyer models of consumption and the "good life."

Policies to decrease world population:

delay reproduction until later in life
Delaying reproduction is important in influencing population growth rates. Over a period of 60 years, if people delay reproduction until they are 30 years old, you would have only two generations, while if you do not delay reproduction you would have three generations (one generation every 20 years).
spread your children farther apart

to have fewer children overall

government commitment to decreasing population growth
Create policies that help decreasing the number of children being born. Policies such as income tax deductions for dependent children and maternity and paternity leaves are essentially pronatalist and should be eliminated.
programs that are locally designed and that include information on family planning and access to contraceptives

educational programs that emphasize the connection between family planning and social good

The vast disparities in reproductive health worldwide and the greater vulnerability of the poor to reproductive risk point to several steps all governments can take, with the support of other sectors, to improve the health of women and their families:

Give women more life choices. The low social and economic status of women and girls sets the stage for poor reproductive health
Invest in reproductive health care
Encourage delays in the onset of sexual activity and first births
Help couples prevent and manage unwanted childbearing
Ensure universal access to maternal health care
Support new reproductive health technologies
Increase efforts to address the HIV pandemic
Involve communities in evaluating and implementing programs
Develop partnerships with the private sector, policymakers and aid donors to broaden support for reproductive health

Measure Progress

More and more young people on every continent want to start bearing children later in life and to have smaller families than at any time in history. Likewise, in greater proportions than ever, women and girls in particular want to go to school and to college, and they want to find fulfilling and well-paid employment. Helping people in every country obtain the information and services they need to put these ambitions into effect is all that can be done, and all that needs to be done, to bring world population growth to a stable landing in the new century.

Conclusion

The rate of world population growth is beginning to decline, but the total number of people could still double or even triple from today’s 6.7 billion before stabilizing a century or more from now. Women in most countries are still having more than the two-child average consistent with a stable population size. Moreover, so many young people are now entering or moving through their childbearing years that even a two-child average would still boost population size for a few decades until the momentum of past growth subsides. Yet there is reason for optimism. The combination of access to family planning and other reproductive health services, education for girls and economic opportunity for women could lower birthrates enough to stabilize world population well before a doubling of today’s total.

a) Foreign aid conveys to the recipients the perception of improving economic wellbeing, which is followed by an increase in the fertility of the recipients of the aid.
b) Migrations from regions of low economic opportunity to places of higher economic opportunity result in an increase in the fertility of the migrants that persists for a generation or two.

The need is not to control population growth. Governments cannot control childbearing and attempts to do so have sometimes led to coercive approaches to reproduction that violate human rights. The need is rather to expand the power individuals have over their own lives, especially by enabling them to choose how many children to have and when to have them.

The well-being of the world's forests is closely linked to the health and well-being of women. Investing in education for girls helps them to:

a) contribute to their national economies, and

b) postpone childbearing until they are ready for a family.

Providing credit and other economic opportunities for women creates alternatives to early and frequent childbearing. Finally, better access to quality reproductive health services directly benefits women and their families. These approaches increase human capacity, providing the greatest long term return to societies, individuals and the environment. Moreover, they are likely to lead to an early peak in world population in the coming century, quite possibly at levels that can co-exist with forests that teem with human and non-human life for centuries to come.

delay reproduction until later in life
Delaying reproduction is important in influencing population growth rates. Over a period of 60 years, if people delay reproduction until they are 30 years old, you would have only two generations, while if you do not delay reproduction you would have three generations (one generation every 20 years).
spread your children farther apart

to have fewer children overall

government commitment to decreasing population growth: create policies that help decreasing the number of children being born. Policies such as income tax deductions for dependent children and maternity and paternity leaves are essentially pronatalist and should be eliminated.
programs that are locally designed and that include information on family planning and access to contraceptives

educational programs that emphasize the connection between family planning and social good

Give women more life choices. The low social and economic status of women and girls sets the stage for poor reproductive health
Invest in reproductive health care
Encourage delays in the onset of sexual activity and first births
Help couples prevent and manage unwanted childbearing
Ensure universal access to maternal health care
Support new reproductive health technologies
Increase efforts to address the HIV pandemic
Involve communities in evaluating and implementing programs
Develop partnerships with the private sector, policymakers and aid donors to broaden support for reproductive health

Measure Progress

Our planet is populated with living beings consisting of millions of different life forms interacting with each other to survive, thus forming an intricate web of life in different ecosystems on the planet. The interaction and interdependence between life forms are the driving force that creates and maintains an ecological - environmental equilibrium that has sustained life on Earth for millions of years enabling it to evolve, flourish and diversify. The Global Community values Earth’s diversity in all its forms, the non-human as well as the human.

Virtually all life on earth, directly or indirectly, depends on photosynthesis as a source of food, energy, and Oxygen, making it one of the most important biochemical processes known. It is a part of the global life-support systems and is a right that needs protecting at all costs. The right and responsibility that human beings have in protecting photosynthesis has the highest importance on the Scale of Global Rights.

On Earth’s surface exists a diversity of arctic, temperate and tropical ecosystems with many different varieties of plants, animals, and human beings, all of which are dependent on soils, waters and local climates. Biodiversity, the diversity of organisms, depends on maintenance of ecodiversity, the diversity of ecosystems. Cultural diversity – which in effect is a form of biodiversity – is the historical result of humans fitting their activities, thoughts and language to specific geographic ecosystems. Therefore, whatever degrades and destroys ecosystems is both a biological and a cultural source.

Earth is mostly covered with oceans. Though generally recognized as several 'separate' oceans, these waters comprise one global, interconnected body of salt water forming the Global Ocean. This concept of a global ocean as a continuous body of water with relatively free interchange among its parts is of fundamental importance to the Global Community. The major oceanic divisions are defined in part by the continents, and various archipelagos. These divisions are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean (which is sometimes subsumed as the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans), and the Arctic Ocean (which is sometimes considered a sea of the Atlantic). The Pacific and Atlantic may be further subdivided by the equator into northerly and southerly portions. Smaller regions of the oceans are called seas, gulfs, bays and other names. There are also some smaller bodies of saltwater that are on land and not interconnected with the Global Ocean, such as the Aral Sea, and the Great Salt Lake – though they may be referred to as 'seas', they are actually salt lakes.

Despite their huge size, the oceans have been greatly affected by human activity. Pollution and overfishing are two major concerns.

The Arctic is one of the most beautiful and forbidding places on Earth, where temperatures regularly plunge well below zero and the time between sunset and sunrise is sometimes measured in months rather than hours. Yet despite these difficult conditions a variety of people and animals have adapted to thrive at the top of the world, including vibrant communities and iconic animal species.

The Arctic Ocean is facing incredible pressures. As goes the Arctic, so goes the planet. There is no single Arctic treaty, so it is up to the Global Community to save this vital part of our planet. And this is one of the reasons for creating the planetary biodiversity zone.

Oceans add considerable inertia to the climate system, slowing it down, and hence increase the time it takes the system to respond to change. Responsive change in ocean circulation patterns, such as the thermohaline circulation system that controls the behaviour of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, can also significantly modify the primary changes in atmospheric circulation.

Greenland ice cores and ocean sediments confirm that such modifications can have dramatic effects on regional climates, effects that may occur within the space of decades, and can last for centuries. Hence oceans add an additional major element of irreversibility, on human time scales, to global climate change.

Historically, CO₂ taken up in the biological carbon cycle was approximately equal to the CO₂ released. The global production of carbon fixed by plants was then equal to the global ecosystem respiration that comprised respiration by plants plus respiration by all other living things on land. On a global basis, there was no net flux of carbon to or from the atmosphere, and there was not net change in carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems (globally). Unfortunately, human activities have recently been converting forested landscapes to grazed, cultivated, or urban landscapes.

Deforestation is the removal of trees, often as a result of human activities. It is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Trees remove carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis. Both the rotting and burning of wood releases this stored carbon carbon dioxide back in to the atmosphere.

A rainforest is a biome, a forested area where the annual rainfall is high. Some mention 1000 mm of rain each year as a limit of what is a rainforest, but that definition is far from complete. Rainforests are primarily found in tropical climates, although there are a few examples of rainforests in temperate regions as well. As well as prodigious rainfall, many rainforests are characterized by a high number of resident species, and a great biodiversity. It is also estimated that rainforests provide up to 40% of the oxygen currently found in the atmosphere.

Forests store large amounts of CO₂, buffering the CO₂ in the atmosphere. The carbon retained in the Amazon basin is equivalent to at least 20% of the entire atmospheric CO₂. Destruction of the forests would release about four fifths of the CO₂ to the atmosphere. Half of the CO₂ would dissolve in the oceans but the other half would be added to the 16% increase already observed this century, accelerating world temperature increases. Another impact of tropical rainforest destruction would be to reduce the natural production of nitrous oxide (NO). Tropical forests and their soils produce up to one half of the world's NO which helps to destroy stratospheric ozone. Any increase in stratospheric ozone would warm the stratosphere but lower global surface temperatures.

Dense tropical forests also have a great effect on the hydrological cycle through evapotranspiration and the reduction of surface runoff. With dense foliage, about a third of the rain falling on the forest never reached the ground, being re-evaporated off the leaves.

Today there is a net loss of biomass through:

a) deforestation and land use conversion
b) worldwide burning of fossil fuels

We have shown in this report that several events have contributed to the planetary state of emergency:

A)     widespread poverty and hunger in more than half the world population
B)     The global warming of the planet due to human activities
C)     Climate change
D)     Economic and military invasion of nations by the United States and NATO
E)     Absence of fair and democratic global governance at the United Nations and European Union
F)     Our global environment and global life-support systems are threatened by:

any of the above mentioned events

pollution worldwide

the U.S.A. military exploded war heads over the bottom of the Indian ocean, and that scenario created a tsunami wave in 2004. Just a test, said the captain of the submarine that did it.

the U.S.A. military exploded war heads to melt the Polar Cap and glaciers. All nations capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life on Earth must be disarmed and pay for the independent global investigation. The United States is the only nation that would profit from the melting of the North Pole and is capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life. Blood resources.

The Global Community is now applying more emphasis on the urgent need from the people of all nations to give everyone essential services.

Today, earquakes, cyclones and other natural disasters, as well as human made global destruction and disasters, require a rapid and efficient response from the world to help those in needs. We need to be organized and ready to help. We need all nations to be a part of this Global Movement to Help.

Great ocean currents swirl around the Earth, many of them thousands of kilometres long. Some are warm currents, some are cold. These currents have an enormous effect on the world's weather systems. Oceans also have layers of water at different temperatures.

The Global Ocean has a great impact on the biosphere. The evaporation of these oceans is how we get most of our rainfall, and their temperature determines our climate and wind pattern. The Global Ocean serves many functions, especially affecting the weather and temperature. Oceans moderate the Earth's temperature by absorbing incoming solar radiation (stored as heat energy). The continuously moving ocean currents distribute this heat energy around the globe. This heats the land and air during winter and cools it during summer.

Oceans support the greatest variety of life on earth, from microscopic plankton to giant whales. The deepest parts of the oceans have barely begun to be explored, and new life forms are being discovered every year by deep ocean submersible machines.

The Global Community is defined around a given territory, that territory being the planet as a whole, as well as a specific population, which is the Global Community. The Global Community has the power to make the laws of the land and to make the rules for the territory of the Earth. Global Law has been and continue to be researched and developed for this purpose.

The definition of the Global Community concept is truly the 21st century "philosophy of life" framework, some called it the religion of the third millennium, others called it the politics of the future generations now. This definition includes all people, all life on Earth. It also implicitly says that no-one in particular owns the Earth but we all own it together. Not just us people, but all life on Earth owns it. The beginning of life stretches as far back as 4 billion years, and so Life claims its birthright of ownership of Earth.

And this is what Global Rights year one is about: to establish global fundamentals and a clear vision to follow, and to offer the people of all nations the Global Movement to Help.

Perhaps the Scale of Global Rights represents the strongest pillar of our vision.

Today, we are presenting once more the Scale as the best educating tool to bring about the change the people of the world need to achieve for their own survival.

Thus global rights include:

Human rights
Rights of global citizens
Earth rights
Peace and Justice rights for all life as researched and developed by the Global Community
Rights of global politics, and Earth Government
Rights of global justice for all life
Rights of global protection for all life

Global rights are defined in details in the section the Scale of Global Rights.

These rights are dependent of their position on the Scale of Global Rights.

The Global Community was the first in defining 'a nation', 'a global community' with respect to the concept of global rights. A nation is defined primarily by its people, its communities; arts, history, social, languages, religious and cultural aspects included. Fundamentally a nation or a state is defined as "a politically unified population occupying a specific area of land".

A global community has a well defined criteria based on global symbiotical relationships. And it does not require the occupation of a specific area of land. These relationships allow a global equitable and peaceful development and a more stable and inclusive global economy.

The definition of the Global Community is:

"The Global Community is defined as being all that exits or occurs at any location at any time between the Ozone layer above and the core of the planet below."

The Global Community is this great, wide, wonderful world made of all these diverse global communities.

And this brings us closer to define a proper, more meaningful, 21st Century criteria for sovereignty.

Global Community criteria for sovereignty:

a global community is in place
the land and its natural resources are just enough to live a sustainable life and for a healthy living
the community governs its owns affairs as per the Scale of Human and Earth Rights, Global Law, Global Constitution, and the protection of the environment and of the global life-support systems
a symbiotical relationship exists between the citizens and the Global Community
a democracy based on the fact that land, the air, water, oil, minerals, and all other natural resources within the community rightly belongs to the community along with the Global Community, and that the Earth is the birthright of all life
Earth management and taxation of all Earth natural resources

Now that we have established the criteria of sovereignty with its responsibility and accountability, let us see the Global Community perspective concerning the Canadian sovereignty claim of the Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Greenland, and who truly owns the North Pole region, and in fact who truly owns the Earth and all its natural resources.

Without this criteria no one can claim ownership - sovereignty - of Nunavut, Greenland, the Northwest Passage and, truly, the entire North Pole region. Canada does not own the area of Nunavut or that of the North West territories. Like we have explained above putting a flag on Moon does not give you ownership. Our first explorers did not own the land just because they stepped foot on North America. Just because you put a flag on Mount Everest means you own the mountain. You dont! And the Inuit dont own Nunavut either. The population density of Nunavut is 0.015 persons per square kilometer. So 82.4% of Nunavut is practically empty of people. One can say Nunavut is mostly without people. If someday a colony is set up on the Moon will that mean the people making up the colony owns the Moon? No it does not! The people of the colony could say they own an area large enough for their own survival, a sustainable living. Not the entire Moon. Similarly for the Inuit people. They dont own Nunavut. The Inuit are in large part being taken care of by the Canadian Government. They are being used by the Canadian Government to claim soverighty of Nunavut. Somewhat like the colony on the Moon would be taken care of by the nation on Earth. So the Inuit people can only claim to own a small area around their communities. This means that people from all over the world could come to settle a community in Nunavut.

The Earth and all its natural resources belong to all the "global communities" contained therein. A village, or a city is "a global community" and owns the land around its boundaries. Along with the Global Community, it has ownership of all natural resources within its boundaries.

Land here, by definition, covers all naturally occurring resources like surface land, the air, minerals deposits (gold, oil and gas etc), water, electromagnetic spectrum, the trees, fish in the seas and rivers. It is unjust to treat land as private property or a commodity. Land is not a product of labor. Everyone should therefore be given equal access to all natural resources.

Global Community fundamentals concerning the question of "Who owns the Earth?" has been integrated into our global economic system that stipulates:

you own a property, use it, share it, or lose it

This principle also applies to banks and similar institutions all over the world. You own property because the owners could not pay. Use that property, or share it or lose it. Wall Street is cerainly a prime owner of property and is included with this principle.

Only the Global Community can rightfully claim ownership of the Earth.

Global rights and the taxation of natural resources can each be used to create and protect this biodiversity zone in Nunavut and over the entire North Pole region. The Inuit government and the Canadian government are invited to start the process of creating such zone. The Global Community has set aside a specific region to create and protect a biodiversity zone in the North Pole region.

Map #1
( see enlargement

)
Planetary Biodiversity Zone: North Pole region
Artwork by Germain Dufour
September 26, 2008

The Global Community has also established a planetary biodiversity zone now under the protection of the Global Protection Agency (GPA).

Map #2
( see enlargement

)
Planetary Biodiversity Zone: oceans, rivers, lakes and forests
Artwork by Germain Dufour
September 25, 2008

We have declared a moratorium on all development in the zone.

The planetary biodiversity zone includes :

North Pole region
South Pole region
all oceans
all forests
all lakes
all rivers and connecting streams
all wetlands and grasslands
living organisms and ecosystems in all of the above

The people of all nations are required to respect the moratorium until global law

has been completed to include regulations to be enforced by the GPA.

The Earth and all its natural resources belong to all the "global communities" contained therein. A village, or a city is "a global community" and owns the land around its boundaries. Along with the Global Community, it has ownership of all natural resources within its boundaries.

It is well known that the planet's diversity is being threatened. The effect that human activities have had on our planet have become a major concern. Erosion, pollution, desertification, increased rates of extinction can all be traced back to human activities and are now starting to completely change the future of life on the planet.

Adding to this problem of climate change, warmer temperatures, is the melting of the Polar Cap due to the U.S.A. military exploding nuclear war heads to melt the Polar Cap and glaciers. All nations capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life on Earth must be disarmed and pay for the independent global investigation. The United States is the only nation that would profit from the melting of the North Pole and is capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life. Blood resources.

The United States is the only nation that would profit from the melting of the North Pole and is capable of such an extreme action against humanity and all life on Earth by exploding nuclear bombs to melt glaciers and North Pole cap. The Earth Court of Justice will see that Justice is done. In view of the planetary state of emergency, the Global Community says: for the protection of all life on Earth, a preventive principle is our only alternative. You are guilty until you can prove otherwise. Global Law must be applied. The United States must pay for the independent investigation. Would you agree?

Our rapid human population expansion, need, greed, and ignorance, have caused alarming destruction of the Earth's living resources. As a result, thousands of life forms have been threatened, endangered, or extinct. At current rate of destruction over 50% of species of life forms will be wiped out within 50 years seriously compromising the integrity of life on Earth. In fact, this magnitude of destruction will have unknown consequences with respect to the food supply, environment, climate, and the overall well being of the planet.

Human activities are responsible for most of the species extinctions, in particular destruction of plant and animal habitats, often being driven by human consumption of organic resources. When they are not food species, their biomass is converted into human food, and their habitat is transformed into pasture, cropland, and orchards. The ecosystem decreases in stability as its species are made extinct and the global ecosystem is destined for collapse. Significant factors contributing to loss of biodiversity are: deforestation, overpopulation, pollution ( water pollution, air pollution, soil contamination), global warming, and climate change.

Actions that affect the stability and health of the Global Community and its ecosystems need to be identified and publicly condemned. Among the most destructive of human activities are militarism and its gross expenditures, the mining of toxic materials, the manufacture of biological poisons in all forms, industrial farming, industrial fishing, and industrial forestry. Destructive technologies such as these, justified as necessary for protecting specific human populations, enriching special corporate interests, and satisfying human wants rather than needs, will lead to evergreater ecological and social disasters.

The Global Community believes that to protect this ecosystem, industrial activity both inside and outside the planetary biodiversity zone must be carefully regulated. Large reserves able to maintain their ecological integrity must be adequately set aside and thorough environmental assessments must be carried out before governments decide to allow any sort of large-scale industrial activity.

What we must do to protect life and create a planetary biodiversity zone
Respect the moratorium on all development in the zone The Global Community has declared a moratorium on all development in the zone, including all drilling, military testing, and any other destructive uses of the ecosystems. The planetary biodiversity zone includes : North Pole region South Pole region all oceans all forests all lakes all rivers and connecting streams all wetlands and grasslands living organisms and ecosystems in all of the above The people of all nations are required to respect the moratorium until global law has been completed to include regulations to be enforced by the GPA.
Reduce human population size A primary cause of ecosystem destruction and species extinctions is the human overpopulation that already far exceeds ecologically sustainable levels. Total world population, now at 6.7 billion, is inexorably climbing by 75 million a year. Every additional human is an environmental “user” on a planet whose capacity to provide for all its creatures is size-limited. In all lands the pressure of numbers continues to undermine the integrity and generative functioning of terrestrial, fresh water, and marine ecosystems. Our human monoculture is overwhelming and destroying Nature’s polycultures. Country by country, world population size must be reduced by reducing conceptions.
Educate our children on the ethics that value life species Educate our childrenn on the ethics that value life species over consuming resources without restraint, and condemn the social acceptance of unlimited human fecundity. Present need to reduce numbers is greatest in wealthy countries where per capita use of energy and Earth materials is highest. A reasonable objective is the reduction to population levels as they were before the widespread use of fossil fuels; that is, to one billion or less. This will be accomplished either by intelligent policies or inevitably by plague, famine, and warfare.
Ban overconsumption of Earth resources The greatest threat to the planetary biodiversity zone is the ever-increasing appropriation of the planet’s goods for exclusive human uses. Such appropriation and over-use, often justified by population overgrowth, steals the livelihood of other organisms. The selfish view that humans have the right to all ecosystem components – air, land, water, organisms – is morally reprehensible. It is wrong. Global Rights were researched and developed for all life on our planet, not just for ourselves as human beings. Unlike plants, we must kill to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves, but this is no license to plunder and exterminate. The accelerating consumption of Earth’s vital parts is a recipe for destruction of ecodiversity and biodiversity. Wealthy nations armed with powerful technology are the chief offenders, best able to reduce consumption and share with those whose living standards are lowest, but no nation is blameless. The eternal growth ideology of the market, and Wall Street, must be renounced, as well as the perverse industrial and economic policies based on it. One rational step toward curbing exploitive economic expansion is the ending of public subsidies to those industries that pollute air, land or water and/or destroy organisms and soils. A philosophy of symbiosis, of living compliantly as a member of Earth’s communities, will ensure the restoration of productive ecosystems.
Promote global governance Concepts of governance that encourage over-exploitation and destruction of Earth’s ecosystems must be replaced by those beneficial to the survival and integrity of the Global Community. Everyone is asked to help. A body of environmental law and regulations that confers legal standing on the Global Community’s vital structures and functions is required. Country by country, ecologically responsible people must be elected or appointed to governing bodies. Appropriate attorney-guardians will act as defendants when ecosystems and their fundamental processes are threatened. Issues will be settled on the basis of preserving ecosystem integrity, not on preserving economic gain. Over time, new bodies of global law, policy, and administration will emerge as embodiments of the 21st Century life philosophy of the Global Community. Implementation will be the work of the Global protection Agency (GPA).
Education and leadership are needed We all have a duty to spread the word by education and leadership. The initial urgent task is to awaken all people to their functional dependence on Earth’s ecosystems, as well as to their bonds with other species. We must all participate in Earth-wise global community activities, each playing a personal part in sustaining the marvelous surrounding reality. By promoting a quest for abiding values – a culture of compliance and symbiosis with our living planet – it fosters a unifying outlook. By spreading the ecological message and emphasizing humanity’s shared outer reality, will open a new and promising path toward international understanding, harmony, cooperation, stability, and peace.