i. a. At the Rio Summit, the rich and the developed countries of the first world generally referred to as the ‘Global North’ were pursuing a different environmental agenda than the poor and developing countries of the ‘Third World’, called the ‘Global South’. The Northern states were mainly concerned with ozone depletion and global warming. They wanted to discuss the environmental issue as it stands now and wanted everyone to be equally responsible for ecological conservation.
b. The Southern states on the other hand were anxious to address the relationship between economic development and environmental management. The developing nation of the south felt that much of the ecological degradation in the world is the product of industrial development undertaken by the developed countries.
ii. a. Throughout the world, cultivable area is barely expanding any more, and a substantial portion of existing agricultural land is losing its fertility, grasslands have been overgrazed and fisheries overharvested. Water bodies have suffered extensive depletion and pollution, severely restricting food production.
b. A steady decline in the total amount of ozone in the Earth’s stratosphere poses a real danger to ecosystems and human health.
c. Natural forests- which help stabilize the climate, moderate water supplies, and labor a majority of the planet’s biodiversity on land – are being cut down and people are being displaced. The loss of biodiversity continues due to the destruction of habitat in areas which are rich in species.
