Halcyon Identifies

 

A planned 'super-dairy' triggered much opposition, particularly regarding animal welfare, and concerns about its impact on the environment and local residents.

 

700m or so extra people may move to cities by mid-century and may double or triple demand for health services, transport, energy, housing, sanitation, food and water.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature claims to help the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

 

Growing demand for meat means more land used to grow grain to feed cattle and for pasture, while overgrazing leads to top soil loss and water wastage.

 

Concern is growing over the state of the Earth's nine, interdependent, "life-support systems".

  

There may be just five more years in which to start a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable, claims a major new report, although some other respected scientists would strongly disagree with such an analysis.

 

"Net Geners" - i.e. people who have "grown up digital" - are, it is argued, closer to their families, and find them safer and more democratic than earlier generations.  They are also said to judge corporations by their integrity, workplace practices and concern for the environment.

Loss of biodiversity and species extinction is on the increase; a particular concern is ocean biodiversity, as there is growing evidence of steep reductions in fish populations.

A grassroots campaign to plant trees in order to combat climate change has already resulted in more than three billion new trees being planted worldwide and has now revised its target upwards to seven billion.

Deforestation rates continue to grow in many countries, despite increased awareness that forests - home to more than 70% of terrestrial biodiversity - are key to sustaining the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people and to mitigating climate change.