Top scientists urge governments to solve environmental 'dilemmas' Demand for water and energy, natural disasters and measuring carbon dioxide must be prioritised, leading institutions say

Flooding in Thailand in December 2011. Natural disasters have been taking an increasing toll in recent years – last year’s economic losses owing to natural disasters were the highest ever. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters


Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 10^th May, 2012.
The world's leading scientific institutions have urged governments to focus on three "global dilemmas": growing demands for water and energy, natural disasters and measuring carbon dioxide.

In a series of statements, the scientists recommended that governments should "engage the international research community in developing systematic, innovative solutions" to these pressing problems.

The heads of the national science academies of 15 countries, including the UK, the US, China, Germany, Russia and India, signed the statements, which are timed to be considered by governments at the forthcoming G8 meeting of the world's biggest industrialised economies, in the US.

They recommended that governments should prioritise the three areas they had identified, and work with scientists in order to develop ways of solving the problems.

To read more:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/10/scientists-focus-environmental-dilemmas