Many countries, including the United States, have developed their own blueprints for sustainable development. Landmark agreements on banning the ocean dumping of radioactive waste, protecting shared fish stocks, and curtailing land-based sources of marine pollution give us powerful new tools for safeguarding the oceans. Continued adherence to, and improvement of, the Montreal Protocol is already showing signs of reversing the trend of ozone depletion. But we have also learned how difficult these environmental problems are. While Rio was long on rhetoric about creating a more sustainable future, it is clear that we are not even close to doing so.
Most indicators point to a continuing deterioration of the global environment.
Rapid population growth persists. Greenhouse gas emissions escalate. Forest loss remains severe. Countless species continue to go extinct. Next month you will hear lots of theories for why we are not doing better, and there will probably be some truth in all of them.