| Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.
 If not checked, many of our current practices put at the
serious risk future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know.
Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about.
The environment is suffering critical stress in these areas:
- Stratospheric ozone depletion threatens us with enhanced ultraviolet radiation at the Earth's surface, which can be damaging or lethal to many lifeforms. Air pollution and acid rain are already causing widespread injury to humans, forests and crops.
- Heedless exploitation of depletable ground water supplies endangers food production and other essential human systems.
 Destructive pressure on the oceans is severe... some fisheries already show signs of collapse.
- At present rates, some critical forest types will be gone in a few years, and with them will go large numbers of plant and animal species.
The senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the Earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.
We must bring environmentally damaging activities under control to restore and protect the integrity of the Earth's systems we depend on.
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