A few facts will suffice to make the point: our global ecological footprint has tripled since
1961; WWF’s Living Planet Index shows a 29% species decline since 1970; and 60% of the
world’s ecosystems have been degraded, according to the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment. We do not fare much better on social issues: according to the UNDP, 2.5
billion people still live on less than $2 a day; 1 billion have no access to safe water; and
2.6 billion lack access to sanitation.