Earth under strain

The world’s major ecosystems are buckling under the strain of human activity.
So says an exhaustive, two-year study by 175 scientists from the World Resources
Institute and several UN agencies. They say half the world’s wetlands
disappeared in the past century; forestry and agriculture have gobbled up half
the world’s original forests; and fishing fleets are 40 per cent larger than the
ocean can sustain. World Resources 2000-2001 warns that “halting the
decline of the planet’s life-support systems may be the most difficult challenge
humanity has ever faced”.