100 Heads Of State, Low Expectations For Rio Earth Summit; President Obama Unlikely To Attend

[hatrack]

Around 100 heads of states and governments are expected in Rio for the June 20-22 conference on sustainable development.

It takes place 40 years after the first big global environment meeting and 20 years after the near-legendary Earth Summit, where the United Nations set up two forums to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.

That initiative nailed environment firmly to the top of the world’s political agenda. Yet two decades later, the problems are worse than ever.

Indeed, many experts gloomily say mankind is destroying his future by the reckless drive for prosperity today.
Scientists at a pre-Rio conference in London last month said the UN’s goal, enshrined less than 18 months ago, of limiting global warming to 2°C is already out of reach.

EDIT

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120423/environment/Hopes-fade-for-answers-in-Rio-to-global-problems.416675

[Nihil]

1. "mankind is destroying his future by the reckless drive for prosperity today"

Appropriate epitaph for Wall Street (and practically every politician to boot).