With the latest crisis in Israel and Lebanon, I cannot help but notice that if the UN through UNEP (United World Environmental Programme) applied the same vigor in protecting our environment as they do to keeping world peace, imagine what could be achieved in the struggle against "Global Warming".
We could be in a far better position than we presently are.

A UN peace keeping force will soon be in place in an attempt to bring about a lasting and sustainable peace for Israel and Lebanon. I whole heartedly support this action to preserve human life and bring back quality life to all concerned.

However there is another disaster looming which can and will cause a lot more human misery and death if not kept in check i.e. the destruction of our Rain Forests through their inappropriate use.
Rain Forest regions of our planet, which provide most of the world's oxygen, are systematically being destroyed by logging operations and slash and burn farming techniques.

The World's Nations, through the UN, seem to mainly focus on the current humanitarian crises and forget that we are slowly being robbed of the earth's oxygen supply.
This should be addressed immediately to preserve quality of life on the planet for us all.

We as individuals and organizations need to start lobbying the UN body, the UNEP, to take more drastic action in this regard.

Could you imagine what can be achieved if Environmental Scientists got together on a global scale in order to determine which areas need the most protection,
and if the UNEP actively monitored the all crucial life sustaining planetary elements on an ongoing basis to determine which need protection for the sake of all living beings?

The countries who depend on the utilization of these essential natural resources should be approached, and through a process of negotiation, adequately compensated for the not being able use the essential Resource.
This could be funded by means of an Environmental tax system which should be worked out according to how much carbon monoxide each highly industrialized nation emits annually.

As different environmental challenges present themselves we would then have a "Environmental Protection Force" necessary to adequately protect these areas from misuse.

In cases of non-compliance, the organization should have the teeth necessary to do the job of protecting any critical Life Sustaining Element from inappropriate use, preventing irreversible environmental damage and averting a global humanitarian crisis.

About Author
Marco Schiess and his wife, Marie-Louise, founded the Umlani Bushcamp in 1989 in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, now part of the Kruger National Park. Marco and Marie-Louise's wish is to encapsulate their vision of a true African Adventure in the very spirit and experience of the camp itself. They are committed to the preservation of our natural heritage and feel strongly about conservation issues. The entire Umlani bushcamp was built out of natural materials in a traditional African style.