U.N. Makes One Last Call for Environmental Concern

October 26, 2007 7:24 a.m. EST

Paris, France (AHN) - The United Nations Environment Program has released a statement calling for an increase in the efforts taken to address various planetary problems, emphasizing that the survival of the human species is at stake.

It has been described as "the final wake-up call to the international community," being the "broadest and deepest" concern among all the U.N. issues.

The statement identified climate change to be "one of the most pressing problems", but other ecological concerns are also in need of attention.

In its fourth Global Environment Outlook, the U.N. statement addressed concerns such as climate change, the increasing rate of extinction of species, and the rapid population surge that is limiting the supply of food for human survival.

The announcement was issued as "an urgent call for action", with the U.N. saying that "the point of no return" was rapidly approaching, as TimesOnline reported.

The statement revealed that based on a study done by 1,400 scientists, "humanity's very survival" is already to be found teetering at the brink of failure due to the rapid consumption of the Earth's resources over the past 20 years.

Achim Steiner, the program's executive directory, revealed that the ample reduction of waste and the efficient cutback in the usage of resources is "among the greatest challenges at the beginning of the 21st century," quoted the International Herald Tribune.

Global population has been told to have increased by 34 percent, and the planetary financial wealth has increased with it. However, this fact falls relative to the unsustainable depletion of natural resources, leading to a planet that has been pummeled with natural disasters and environmental concerns.

Species extinction was also mentioned to have increased in pace, and many rivers have been reported to have dried up.

It was also revealed that to properly support the growth of the planet's population, each individual needs one-third more of land.