One hundred scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, appealed today to leaders at the UN Earth Summit to protect the planet to avoid a catastrophe.
"Today, human society is facing consequences of its own making which are threatening its further development and the natural resources on which mankind's existence is based. Such disorderly development may tomorrow become catastrophic," the scientists said in a direct appeal to those with economic and political power.
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The refusal of world leaders to deal with the climate crisis was condemned as "suicidal" by Mr Louis Albou, secretary general of the Paris-based World Institute of Scientists (WIS) which launched the appeal.
Indian scientist and anti-globalisation activist Ms Vandana Shiva said the appeal would be distributed at every forum.
"Under globalisation this is the first step to get the voice of independent scientists heard," she said, adding that some scientists and big corporations had colluded to hijack their voice and it was time for respected scientists to warn about the dangers confronting the world.
The scientists urged leaders to respect human dignity and diversity, preserve genetic diversity, direct advances in technology to improve the quality of human life, protect the biosphere from pollution and tackle climate change, reduce the consumption of water and fossil fuels, tackle global inequities and encourage control of demographic growth.
Among the scientists backing the appeal were Mr Max Ferdinand Perutz of Austria, who won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1962, American Mr Charles Hard Townes (chemistry, 1964) and Mr Jean Dausset of France (medicine, 1980).
AFP