Earth from Above - Australia

Towards sustainable development

Since 1950, economic growth has been considerable, and world production of goods and services has multiplied by a factor of 8. During this same period, while the world's population has doubled, the volume of fish caught has multiplied by 5 and the volume of meat produced by 6. Energy demand has multiplied by 5. Oil consumption has multiplied by 7, and carbon dioxide emissions, the main cause of the greenhouse effect and global warming, by 5. Since 1900, fresh water consumption has multiplied by 6, chiefly to provide for agriculture.

And yet, 20% of the world's population does not have drinkable water, 40% have no sanitary installations, 25% is without electricity, and 820 million people are underfed with half of humanity living on less than A$3 a day.

In other words, a fifth of the world's population lives in industrialized countries, consuming and producing in excess and generating massive pollution. The remaining four-fifths live in developing countries and, for the most part, in poverty.

Overexploitation of resources leads to the constant degradation of our planet's ecosystem and limited supplies of fresh water, ocean water, forests, air, arable land…

This is not all. By 2050, the Earth will have close to 3 billion additional inhabitants. These people will live, for the most part, in developing countries. As these countries develop, their economic growth will jockey for position with that of industrialized nations – all within the limits of the Earth’s ecosystem.

The Earth's situation is not irreversible, but changes need to be made as soon as possible. We have the chance to adopt sustainable development, which allows us to improve the living conditions of the world's citizens and to satisfy the needs of generations to come. This development would be based on an economic growth respectful both of man and the natural resources of our unique planet.

Such development requires improving production methods and changing our consumption habits. With the active participation of all the world's citizens, each and every person can contribute to the future of the Earth and mankind, starting right now

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