The damage that climate change is causing and that will get worse if we fail to act goes beyond the hundreds of thousands of lives, homes and businesses lost, ecosystems destroyed, species driven to extinction, infrastructure smashed and people inconvenienced.

Even meeting Kyoto targets barely makes a dent in what we have to achieve.

We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a "slowmotion catastrophe" one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly.

Just as human activity is upsetting Earth's carbon cycle, our actions are altering the water cycle.

Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world, we can't expect them to help protect and care for it.

When I was a kid, being outside was the norm. Rain or shine, our parents would tell us to get out of the house.

More than any other time in history, the 1990s will be a turning point for human civilization.