The information in this file was taken from the compilation of data presented in GAIA: An Atlas of Planet Management, edited by Norman Myers, (London, Anchor Press, 1984)(New York: Doubleday 1987). FOR THE RECORD The Disappearing Soil: The total land area on the globe is 13 billion hectares, 11% is arable land and 24% potentially arable. Each year about 11 million hectares are lost through erosion, becoming desert, becoming toxic, and cropland conversion to non-agricultural uses. We stand to lose 18% of the world's arable land by the year 2000. Between 1945 and 1975 about 30 million hectares of land in the U.S. were lost under concrete and asphalt - half was arable land. The Disappearing Fauna: Well over 90% of all species that have ever lived have disappeared. About one species a year was lost in the early 20th. century. Some biologists argue that it is now higher than one species a day. The Disappearing Flora: Botanists estimate that there are some 25,000 species currently threatened with extinction. Africa's Cape region contains one of the six most significant concentrations of flora on Earth, including 68% of South Africa's 2,373 endangered plants. Modern plant breeding has emphasized inbred, uniform strains. Plant diseases and pest infestations can devastate modern breeds. Only four varieties produce 75% of the wheat grown on Canada's prairieland. Half of this land is covered by just one variety, Neepawa. Loss of Green Cover: By 1975, the area covered by tropical forest was 12%. By the year 2000 tropical forests may cover only 7% of the land. This decline contrasts markedly with temperate forests whose area remains constant around 20% thanks to reforestation. Sharing the Earth's Resources: The U.S., with just 6% of the population, uses 30% of all energy produced--a stark contrast to India whose 20% of global population uses only 2% of the energy. To sustain a reasonable quality of life requires about 80 litres of water per person per day. But the average consumption ranges from 5.4 litres a day in Madagascar (barely enough to survive) to 500 litres a day in the U.S. During the decade 1970-80, the numbers of rural people without clean water increased by 67 million to 1.15 billion, while those without proper sanitation rose by 300 million to almost 1.4 billion. Numbers lacking sanitation in Third World cities doubled during the period 1975-80. Recycling Our Resources: Recycling half of the world's paper consumption would meet almost 75% of new paper demand, and would release 8 million hectares of forest from paper production. Fibre-rich countries, such as Canada and Sweden, are not in the front ranks of paper recyclers. The energy required to produce one tonne of secondary aluminum from scrap is only 5% of the energy used to extract and process primary metal from ore. Industrial Damage: Each year 450,000 tonnes of lead are released into the air by humans, compared with 3,500 tonnes from natural sources. Acid rain ranks among the most serious threats to the environment in the northern hemisphere.. heavily industrialized areas pump some 90 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide into the air each year. Although DDT was prohibited for use within the U.S. as long ago as 1972, the U.S. still manufactures over 18 million kilogrammes a year for export, largely to the Third World. Promising Beginnings: Third UN Conference on Law of the Sea 1973-82 UNCLOS III, for the first time, unites the Law of the Sea into one "written constitution". Under UNCLOS III, the traditional "Freedom of the Seas" remain for 60% of the ocean, but 42% of this, the deep sea beds area, is designated the common heritage of mankind, and will be controlled by an international Seabed Authority. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Signed by over 80 countries since 1973, CITES prohibits international commercial trade in the rarest 600 or so species of animals and plants, and requires licences from the country of origin for exports of about another 200 groups. (Illicit trade continues to undermine the impact of the Convention.) World Conservation Strategy Launched in 1980, backed by IUCN,WWF, UNEP, FAO and UNESCO, and cross-checked by 400 scientists it presents a single, integrated approach to global problems. About 30 countries have translated the global strategy into national action. The Regional Seas Programme The Regional Seas Programme, launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1974, is promoting regional management of 11 regional seas. The Barcelona Convention In 1976, seventeen Mediterranean countries signed the Barcelona Convention for concerted action to clean up the Mediterranean. Under the convention mercury, cadmium and DDT are completely banned. Biological Control China's Big Sand Commune raises 220,000 ducks to control insect pests in fields of young rice. Ducklings consume about 200 insects per hour and cut the use of chemical insecticides from 770,000 kg in 1973 to 6,700 kg in 1975. Imported parasitic insects have saved the Florida citrus industry $35,000,000 a year in pesticides, following an outlay of $35,000. X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven & the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845 Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766 realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662 Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699 The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674 Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560 "Raw Data for Raw Nerves" X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X