The conclusion of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is that we
can only reverse the degradation of ecosystems by changing the
way we manage our economies. Action can still be taken but the
changes required are large and are at present not happening. The
report calls for: • Better governance, including better
integration between environmental, economic and social policy
and greater involvement of the people most concerned; •
Financial carrots and sticks, including ending subsidies which
encourage excessive use of ecosystems and introducing taxes and
payments that manage the environmental pressure; • Changes in
behaviour, including changes in consumption, education and the
empowerment of directly affected communities; • New technology,
including cleverer farming and ecosystem restoration; • Wider
intelligence-gathering, including building non-market values
into decision-making and harnessing traditional knowledge. Just
some of the many campaigning organizations whose environmental
activism has a strong human