Sir

Your Opinion editorial “Leadership at Johannesburg” (Nature 418, 803; 2002) reveals delusions about the sustainable-development summit. Most scientists care little about sustainability, and very few work towards achieving it. I have tried to excite the geoscience community's interest, for example (Geoscientist 11, 1 (15) and 5 (11); 2001), but elicited only a meagre response.

You write of poverty alleviation, improved (renewable) energy generation and better water supplies in developing countries. Less poverty leads to greater consumption of goods and services, of energy, water, land and so on. That is not sustainable development. The Correspondence by E. D. G. Fraser and W. Mabee (Nature 418, 817; 200210.1038/418817a) correctly predicted that the summit would fail, but shed no new light on the issues.

Which of the following do readers consider compatible with sustainable development? Expanding airports and road networks, growing car and aviation industries (including motor racing)? The international arms trade? Logging of rainforests? Trapping and shooting of endangered birds and animals? Overfishing and progressive pollution of the oceans? Inability to police environmental legislation anywhere in the world? Corruption at all levels of government throughout the world?

In a piece entitled “Sustainable development unsustainable” (Nature 374, 305; 1995), John Maddox wrote an approving review of Wilfred Beckerman's book Small is Stupid. Beckerman was wrong to imply that Earth's resources are not finite, but he and Maddox were right to point out that we need economic growth.

Can anyone name a country, rich or poor, where sustainable development is a central plank of government policy? Sustainable development means living in equilibrium with natural cycles. That means reduced consumption, which very few people want. Any attempt to wean industrial civilization off fossil fuels would lead to instant global recession and economic decline. Without economic growth there would be no profits, hence no taxes, no public services, no pensions or state benefits — and no research grants!