KOBE — The invention of the Gutenberg Bible in the mid-15th century revolutionized printing and led to the Renaissance, mass literacy, and the industrial revolution, leading to the development of mass production and the use of fossil fuels.
Now, a half a millennium later, the world must find its way — and quickly — to a new renaissance, one utilizing modern technologies and scientific knowledge to combat the threats of climate change and global warming, one that is the result of industrial developments since Gutenberg's time.
That was the message environment ministers from the Group of Eight heard from Kiyoshi Kurokawa, a top science adviser to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, in a keynote speech Saturday as they began a three-day meeting in Kobe to discuss how the G8 can address environmental issues at the summit in Hokkaido in July.