According to a UN report that was issued on Thursday regarding the state of the environment, the international community must react to climate change, species extinction and a growing human population as soon as possible.

The title of the report is “Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development.” The study was conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and states that nations still fail to recognize the environmental threats to the planet. More than 1,400 scientists were involved in the study that found the resources at risk due to the human consumption.

In the last two decades the population growth reached 6.7 billion people, an almost 34 percent raise. The fact is that the land required for each person is shrinking, reaching 5 acres in 2005, from the 19.5 acres in 1900.

The growing population and the big consumption have led the planet to natural disasters and environmental degradation. This degradation is threatening people, plants and animal species.

The impact of human activities over biodiversity has brought on the brink of extinction 30% of amphibians, 23% of mammals and 12% of birds. Also one in ten of the world’s largest rivers goes dry every year before reaching the sea.

This study is reviewing the progress made from 1987 when a similar one was conducted. That study was the landmark for other research regarding the environmental issues of the planet.

Since that study, the international community has cut ozone damaging chemicals thanks to the Kyoto Protocol and several environmental treaties which led to a 95 percent fade of the damage on the ozone layer.

Media sources quote the environment programme's executive director Achim Steiner: “Life would be easier if we didn’t have the kind of population growth rates that we have at the moment. But to force people to stop having children would be a simplistic answer.

“The more realistic, ethical and practical issue is to accelerate human well-being and make more rational use of the resources we have on this planet.”

Mr. Steiner also warned about the species of fish threatened with extinction by 2050, if the fishing around the world continues at this pace.

The 550 page report was prepared by 390 experts over a period of five years and is a call to action. Climate change should be a global priority and sustained by political leadership. Still the response is considered “woefully inadequate” according to the authors of the report.

The damage brought to the world’s climate is irreversible unless the greenhouse gas emissions drop below 50 % of their1990 levels before 2050. For this to happen, rich countries as well as developing countries should cut their emissions by 60 % to 80 % by 2050, the UN report says.