Global doom by 2030, says UK chief scientist - March 19, 2009
A “perfect storm” of food, energy and water shortages could hit by 2030, the UK government’s chief scientific advisor is warning.
John Beddington told the Sustainable Development UK 09 conference in London, that the world’s growing population could push up demand for food and energy by 50% and water by 30 to 40% in 11 years (BBC, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph).
“It’s a perfect storm. There’s not going to be a complete collapse, but things will start getting really worrying if we don't tackle these problems,” he says.
There is still hope though, says Beddington. “The reason for actually raising this issue now is that now is the time to think very seriously about how we address this combination of problems,” he told the BBC.
Image: I couldn’t find a photo of Beddington, so here’s Nostradamus, via Wikipedia
Comments
Birth control and personal responsibility would have stabilized the planet absent idiotic religious proscriptions and unlimited Third World charity. Decoupled price and cost fashion a short broad road to disaster. Allow massive collapse (three billion dead), put god(s) back in the shipping crate, and start listening to engineers rather than social advocates.
Posted by: Uncle Al | March 19, 2009 06:16 PM
"I couldn’t find a photo of Beddington, so here’s Nostradamus.."
I find such flippancy is in very poor taste considering 1)the author's professional status as compared to Prof. Beddington's 2)the real gravity of the potential human tragedy implied by entirely rational & factually supportable environmental and resource projections, as communicated by Beddington. The importance of civilization's leaders to begin to "think beyond their noses" should be more than apparent by now--and applauded-- rather than demeaned as mere soothsaying.
I am disappointed that a journal of Nature's reputation does not see fit to properly supervise its junior writers and properly edit such utterly juvenile and inappropriate commentary.
Posted by: mclark | March 20, 2009 10:32 PM
will people die from this storm?
Posted by: jess | March 21, 2009 08:12 PM