This year, the Doomsday Clock devised by the Chicago-based Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was advanced two minutes, for the first time in five years. It now stands at 11:55 p.m., just five minutes away from the "midnight" of human annihilation. This change not only reflects last year's nuclear test by North Korea and uncertainties regarding Iran's nuclear development goals; it is also a reflection of the impact of environmental degradation and climate change.

This "clock" was established in 1947 at a time when nuclear weapons were understood to be the greatest threat to human survival. Today, the global ecological crisis casts a stark shadow over the future, one that demands immediate action.

It is now 35 years since The Club of Rome issued their initial report on the global environment, "The Limits to Growth." Three years later, in 1975, I met with the club's founder, Aurelio Peccei. He expressed his deep concern that, unless we change direction, the 21st century could see the Earth become a barren planet, with both nature and humanity in ruin. Despite the severity of the crisis, leaders in the business, political and other fields were failing to focus earnestly on the search for solutions; they were more preoccupied with short-term gain, with little thought for future generations.