But more important than all of these, is the question of whether or not humanity is going to survive as a species. Because we currently enjoy a wealth and prosperity unprecedented in the history of industrial societies, we tend to minimize the import of this crucial question in the United States. Even those of us who are concerned about ecology often wonder if our anxieties really warrant all that much urgency. Indeed, small island nations in the South Pacific began losing ground to the seas 7 years ago.
Coral reefs are a vital link in the world food chain.
At the present rate of loss, the balance of coral will face extinction within 30 - 50 years. The hole in the ozone layer is larger than scientists predicted as recently as 2 years ago. The ozone layer helps retain the Earth's atmosphere for human, animal and plant life and protects us from the lethal radiation of outer space whose unshielded force no life on Earth can survive. It is true that Al Gore has disappointed his hopeful supporters during his vice-presidential tenure. The political realities of the vice presidential office clearly compromised Al Gore's position on this issue.