Growth on a Finite Planet – So Far, So Good

[The Straight Story]

When was the last time the United Nations issued a major report that was upbeat? They exist but are hard to find. Well, this week’s release of the 2010 Human Development Report, on the 20th anniversary of this effort to track human progress, was summarized this way:

People are healthier, wealthier and better educated

Looking back at 40 years of human progress in 135 countries – 92% of the world’s population – -the report shows that average life expectancy rose from 59 to 70 years, primary school enrolment grew from 55 to 70 percent, and per capita income doubled to more than $10,000.

There’s much, much more. The online version provides tools for gauging progress and problems using a variety of measures in specific regions and countries.

The analysts express some concerns, for sure, warning that human-driven climate change could undermine progress in nearly all areas. In the long run, and in the world’s poorest places, that’s indeed correct. But until mid-century, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that the world’s largely wealthy temperate regions are likely, for example, to see boosted agricultural productivity before things, even there, go sour.

And the “ Climate Divide” series in The Times in 2007 showed another reality — that as countries get wealthier and gain technological capacity, they grow more resilient to climate-related hazards. The bottom line, of course, is the uncomfortable reality that adapting to climate change is and will be a prime priority while mitigating emissions remains, for most countries, a generations-spanning long-term goal — unless and until some epic environmental disruption forces it to the front of the line. I’m not saying this kind of prioritization is good; I’m just saying it’s hard to envision a different path given the way the world works.


http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/growth-on-a-finite-planet-so-far-so-good/?partner=rss&emc=rss