Frustrated by the lack of a policy of "green" at the international level, activists now argue for a new contract will be signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June.
The forging of a new agreement can not be critical - the Kyoto Protocol, which legally binds us to reduce global carbon emissions, will expire this year.
After the Copenhagen talks collapsed three years ago, the world's governments committed themselves to sign a new contract in 2012. But, they are now back on that promise. Instead they look to 2020 as their new schedules.
According to Lord Stern, author of a historical paper on the economics of climate change, postpone the contract until then mark the "collective failure" who "is taking a big risk with this planet."
Last November, the UN predicts that an increase in "wild weather" in the next century. A week later, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the world on the brink of irreversible climate change. According to research, global warming will reach a point of no return in five years at the time.
That gives us five years to act; five years to plan, put it into action and ensure that it works. In other words, we are entering a state of "emergency." According to NASA climate scientist Jim Hansen, we have a severe weather system that is unlikely to improve in the future unless we act now.
He believes that we have a moral obligation to hand over the big house, is safe for children and grandchildren: "Our parents did not want them to cause problems for future generations, but we can not pretend we do not know because the science is now clear. "
Hansen manmade climate change as a "moral problem" serious equal to slavery. British lawyer Polly Higgins has the same opinion. He believes that the damage to the environment should be treated as international crimes such as genocide, other crimes against peace and humanity.
He has asked the UN to "ecocide" to accept as a crime against peace fifth: "ecocide is essentially the opposite of life caused depletion of resources, and where there is an escalation of resource depletion, war comes chasing .. "
Just think of the global food riots of 2007 and 2008 to recognize the great potential for social unrest in the future. Some analysts believe that higher food prices that disclosure of the Arab spring of last year. As Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project points out: "What emerges is an interconnected web of risk, with threads of water stress, food insecurity, rising population and consumption is now reinforced by the extreme weather and climate change."
We can not wait until 2020 for a new contract "green". However, as Christiana Figueres, the top UN official on climate change, points out: "Make a deal is not easy ... What we see is nothing but the energy of the industrial revolution and the largest ever seen."
According to Jim Hansen, we have 6% of annual CO2 emissions to be cut immediately. Could now cut means that in 2020, more radical cuts of 15% will be made.
If we are not a new contract at the Rio, the individual countries and companies face this challenge alone. According to Sir David King, former chief scientist in the UK, this is probably our best hope for reducing emissions.
Scotland has derived more than 30% of energy from green sources. And Denmark are planning a 100% renewable energy in operation in 2050. Other countries should follow.
At the company level, we must go "a new paradigm for the industry is characterized by responsibility, re-alignment between cost and value, and scarce resources," says founder Ed Dowding of Sustaination: "When a paradigm shift turbulence and a lack of clarity about how he will change, but the trends are clear for those who choose to watch. "
And at the individual level, we all have our role. "A sustainable society will happen only by the accumulation of billions of individual actions," said Alexandra Cousteau, National Geographic Emerging Explorer.
"When we deal with the pure nature as something that supports us, not something that nourishes us spiritually, psychologically and emotionally" we have strayed from the path, says theologian Martin Palmer
So, on Earth Day in 2012, let's all think about what we can do to help. Do not look back on this moment, 30 years from now with some regret - our window is still open. We still have time. In the words of Albert Einstein, "those who have the privilege to know, have a duty to act." So, let us all unite and act, "unite" we must stand up and "divided" we will fall.
