This week, world population crossed the 7 billion threshold, raising fresh doubts about our collective capacity to meet growing food and energy needs in a changing climate.
The Human Development Index sounded overall alarm regarding the price of environmental degradation borne by the world's poorest countries. (See "Environmental trends threaten global progress for the poor" Nov. 2, 2011 ) The authors warned that:
"Unchecked environmental deterioration—from drought in sub-Saharan Africa to rising sea levels that could swamp low-lying countries like Bangladesh...
