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Authoritative new study sets out a grim vision of shortages and violence—but amid all the gloom, there is hope too. An effort on the scale of the Apollo mission that sent men to the moon is needed if humanity is to have a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of climate change. The stakes are high, as without sustainable growth, "billions of people will be condemned to poverty and much of civilization will collapse." This is the stark warning from the biggest single report to look at the future of the planet—obtained by The Independent on Sunday ahead of its official publication next month. Backed by a diverse range of leading organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, the US army and the Rockefeller Foundation, the 2009 State of the Future report runs to 6,700 pages and draws on contributions from 2,700 experts around the globe. Its findings are described by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, as providing "invaluable insights into the future for the United Nations, its member states and civil society." The authors of the report, produced by the Millennium Project—a think-tank formerly part of the World Federation of the United Nations Associations—set out a number of emerging environmental security issues. "The scope and scale of the future effects of climate change—ranging from changes in weather patterns to loss of livelihoods and disappearing states—has unprecedented implications for political and social stability." The effects of climate change are worsening—by 2025 there could be three million people without adequate water as the population rises still further. And massive urbanization, increased encroachment on animal territory, and concentrated livestock production could trigger new pandemics. Although government and business leaders are responding more seriously to the global environmental situation, it continues to get worse, according to the report. It calls on governments to work to 10-year plans to tackle growing threats to human survival, targeting particularly the US and China, which need to apply the sort of effort and resources that put men on the Moon. But the authors suggest the pre-mentioned threats could also provide the potential for a positive future for all. The good news is that the global financial crisis and climate change planning may be helping humanity to move from its often selfish, self-centered adolescence to a more globally responsible adulthood. Many perceive the current economic disaster as an opportunity to invest in the next generation of greener technologies, to rethink economic and development assumptions, and to put the world on course for a better future.