The big issues mentioned are only the physical effects of something occurring in the spiritual realm, says SSRF. So the real question is - what is required (money or not) to bring about a change in the spiritual root cause of these problems? The solution: follow righteousness and spiritual practice.

Ana, Zagreb, Croatia

The most important aspect of this debate is to find way of tackling all these problems simultaneously. For instance, Malaria and poverty are related. Education and nature preservation are related as well. If this team of economists are able to find this main strategy this meeting will be productive.

Eduardo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I am so pleased to see so many people saying overpopulation. Constant lebensraum for humans at the expense of every other living creature is causing a holocaust of nature. We need to curtail our numbers and our demands on the earth if we hope to save it.

smith, reading,

Feed and educate everyone. A well fed person has the ability to go to school, concentrate and learn. They then become educated and can fight the injustices within their own borders, no need for the great and good USA to invade with troops just help them grow food. Well fed people do amazing things

Garrath, Exeter, England

How do you decrease population? Simple. Maximum of 2 babies per woman. Maximum of 1 for high density areas of the world. Use the money to police and educate. Sounds all too simple? Maybe that's because it is that simple. We just don't know it yet.

Nikki, London,

1:Honest and open inspection of all countries by Amnesty International
2: Equal schooling for both sexes
3: Eradication of illiteracy
4: Public libraries accessible to all with no censorship
5:Consideration for others but zero tolerance of human rights abuses in any form whatsoever

Bob Mcgrath, den haag, Netherlands

Just one question,
Everyone who is talking about overpopulation.
What are YOU doing about it?
Personally i plan to either not have children or at the very maximum have one.

If we all had one child per adult then the population problem would at least stop growing.

Mark, Exeter,

Fundamental in confronting these global challenges is the need to tackle the poverty of leadership in Africa. Most governments there lack the competent, honest and determined leaders needed to lay the foundations for sustainable economic growth and to promote social justice.

willie reid, high wycombe,

How about the dangers of incremental socialism. Other parts of the world have first hand experience but America and Western Europe don't get it. The experience with North/South Korea and East/West Germany should be enough.

Per Capita$:
South K $24,600
North K $1,900
1294% is not rounding

Jeff, Boston, USA

Population - yes, it is among our most serious problems, and exacerbates most of the others. It is difficult to resolve this sensitive issue, so we need a coordinated multifaceted approach, including education and economic incentives. Politicians avoid this one, so we need NGO-driven efforts.

Glenn Richard, Ridge, NY, USA

use 40bn to finance research into alternative to crude oil will eventually help 3rd world governments to direct resources into infrastructure such as housing, education, and health. these are the key components of good living and less diseases.

isaac macdonald addae, girona, spain

Unbelievable, that there is NO listing for population REDUCTION education programs. At what point do we finally recognize that the booming human population has long ago outstripped the supply capacity of the Earth and caused massive ecological disturbance that damages human health?

D Smith, Seattle, USA

The number one item on the Copenhagen Consensus should be global population control. We will only achieve good management of the worlds limited resources if we manage the population laying claim to them. Benefits: less hunger, terrorism, global warming, conflict. Obvious solution - why ignore it

Paul, Leamington, UK

76 bn to upgarde nuclear weapons.....spend half of it in Britain to get the infrastructure sorted out (public transport, schooling health) and the other half on education, environment and birth control in the 3 world

T. Andre, London,

Population Control - If this can be done many of the other problems in your list fix themselves.

Paul Steele, Ahipara, New Zealand

I would spend it on Newcastle United, so we might have a chance of getting to the Carling Cup semi-final...

Kevin, Toon, England

While our government is willing to invest 50bn to shore up the banks dodgy lending decisions and encourage continued profligacy, while being unable to prevent a child starving to death in Birmingham or teenagers being knifed in London, I find this discussion completely pointless.

Sheila, somerset,

Create an NGO to work with governments, corporations, educators, and existing NGOs globally and locally to address these problems through academic, research, and in-the-field internship programs and outreach. Board representing a range of disciplines and political views sets and revises priorities.

Glenn Richard, Ridge, NY, USA

Isn't weapon trade the big issue ?
Before population issues?

Sebastien, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

With only $50 billion to spend (about $7.50 per human), it may be difficult to directly address some of the issues. But it may be enough to focus on creating new technolgies that would make it easier/cheaper to solve the larger problem and points to act as catalysists for larger scale system changes

James, London, UK

Unless we learn to love each other, all these problems will continue. Aggression stems from mother-infant separation.

Support normal birth; keep mums and babies together; enable full-term breastfeeding to maximise everyone's health. Result: social awareness & care for other people & environment.

Alison Blenkinsop, Aldershot, UK

we live in a world that finds it a convenience to have a selectic memorie.how else can you esplain that nowing already the state we poluted this wonderfull planet we call home,we then go about find new ways of killing it just a bit faster.we all can make a positive impact on the planet,please.

carla freitas, manchester, england

How oh how could you leave out over population? I can't even rank the others. Without a reduction in over population the rest are just band aids.

Lora Stillwell, london, uk

Global issues will fail to improve unless governments and institutions get rid of corrupion and co-orperate with one another. Failure to do this is the reason why change will not occur, no matter how much money is given.

The politics must first catch up with the economics.

Pascale, London,

I'm glad to know many people here consider overpopulation (or, to be precise, uncontrolled population increase in sub-Saharan Africa-almost all 30 most fertile countries lie there) as the most important problem. Everything else derives from it or it's secondary (except global warming).

Ilias Vitalis, Rome, Italy

Daphne Kenward: nice idea, but the USA doesn't matter half as much as you think it does, and Obama has feet of clay like all politicians. We don't get to vote here anyway.
Overpopulation is the real threat as it drives everything else. Could a new Black Death save the planet?

Dave, Slough,

Conflict: There is always conflict

Global Warming: Change is part of natural cycles and the Sun influences more than "man".

Disease: Always worth putting money into.

Hunger: This is the most important Issue, yet Foreign Government Corruption prevents Resolution.

Terrorism: Unpreventable

Andy T, England, UK,

Aren't most of these problem interlinked?Slow global warming and crops will not be destroyed by floods, better nutricien, better health, fairer economies, less poverty, less conflict, less terrorism...I agree that overpopulation is not the problem .. there is plenty to go round if we share

Kate, London,

At the root of the whole problem is the exponential growth in human population. If everyone reached Western standards of living, we would need three planets the size of the World. We can either reduce standards of living or limit population. If we do not famine or disease will do it for us.

Tom Moss, Camberley, Surrey

How about poverty?

Overpopulation comes about when people are poor. The easiest way to reduce family size is not through access to contraception, it's when people believe their children will live to be adults.

Rose, Glasgow,

Although the current generaton of politicians cannot or dare not accept reality. It is heartening to see that commentators here DO see what is fundametal wrong with humanity - NUMBERS. China is the only country in the world to act responsibly on this issue, for all her faults.

Humanist, Leeds, UK

Copenhagen - Are we consulting the right people?
Surely it is obvious that the past 150 years of consumer economics is the cause of today's chaos. So does that make the world's leading economists the right people to consult? Add long-term agricultural investment, science and training to the list.

Peter Sutton, Guildford, England

It would be a huge help if all the major religions would preach smaller families rather than encouraging the opposite
to increase their market share.

Gareth, St Albans, UK

Maybe stop continously feeding the hungry, giving medicine to the sick. Lets stop the charity, continously making every poor person a charity case.
Its time the world enabled the poor to make something of themselves, teach them how to create wealth that they may feed, heal and clothe themselves.

Sam, Manchester, London

All these issues are important..they affect people. Money is just a tool for mankind to use to find solutions.Some issues are caused by people themselves. Mankind's heart needs changing. When Jesus comes into a man's heart, his eternity is assured, love is born, God breathed ideas possible.

Beth Webb, Laguna NIguel, CA, USA

There are now too many people demanding too much out of the Earth. Every effort must be put into exploring new ways of creating food and energy without causing irrevocable environmental damage. Science may simply not have the answer to this dilemma but this is what funding should be directed at.

Simon Merritt, Bournemouth, UK

There is much talk of saving the planet but we need to save life on earth. The root cause of the problems up for discussion is the human race which is growing at a rate of 77m p.a. The most urgent need is for education to encourage smaller families; the rest is short term sticking plaster.

Colin Freeman, Hornchurch, England

Education on birth control; providing free contraception .. if the population problem is not solved we can only expect more of the same .. more crime, more disease, more starvation .. the world does not have limitless assets.

alice hudson, quimper, france

First develop new technologies shifting our reliance away from oil addressing the needs of a booming population, shifting control away from volatile middle eastern countries and the foolish world leaders who enable them. Then food tech to feed the masses and then education to resolve conflict.

Farrukh, Woking,

Overpopulation is a problem and nature has a way of dealing with it, famine,drought,disease . But man can play its part has well with war and of course contraception and sex education. So sometimes we should not interfere and let a natural balance occur .

Clive, Dartford, Kent

It appears to be worthwhile to tackle ALL your stated Global challenges. But these corrected would make the unstated challenges worse, namely, acceptable standards for Food and Water, Population and Wildlife.

David Edgington, Poole, England

Count me as another vote for Gareth. If we cannot solve the problem of overpopulation, no other problem is soluble. But if we can solve it, the other problems will be solved along with it.

Robert Firth, Singapore,

Overpopulation is a problem is it? Well how do you propose to deal with it? Should we start culling humanity now? BTW Galileo spoke out against religious dogma not scientific beliefs, the reason no scientist speaks out against global warming is because there is too much evidence supporting it.

John Leighton, Brisbane, Aust.

I am astounded that Overpopulation is not on the list of Global Challenges - it should be number one! Tackling this would help to solve many of the other problems in the world. Is political correctness the reason it is not on the list?

Jackie Rubin, Great Missenden, England

Terrorism isn't really a priority, stopping the war and world hunger are good starts. Think people.

Paul, london,

I believe what the world fails to see is that the calamities of our day were foretold over 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ. I know that man believes if he throws enough money at some-thing it will be taken care of. what men worldwide need to do is recognize their need for a Savior, not more money!!!

Ken, Valley City, ND., United States

Overpopulaion is a MYTH!! If people would stop being greedy and selfish, there would be enough land and food for a growing population. Maybe simple vegetarian food instead of meat and sugary cakes, but enough for all nonetheless. Most lack is caused by politics or greed.

Anne Kitchen, Birkenhead,

Daphne The question being asked on this strand is about what is the most important problem facing the earth. I can't see where Obama comes into this except no one knows what his policies are and the USA and China chuck out the most CO2. A lot of countries do have population policies .Who doesnt?

Gareth, St Albans, UK

#The most important issue confronting the world today is overpopulation, particularly in the 3rd world and this does not seem to be mentioned either in your newspaper article or on this web page. I would divide the money between reducing the population and climate change, then deal with the rest.

kay callow, Salisbury, Wilts

Galilao Galiali was a scientific giant got into great trouble denying the orthodox belief of the day.

Where is the scientific giant to challenge the orthodox belief regarding Global Warming today?

Brian Organ , hereford, herefordshire

Totally agree with Gareth, St. Albans, UK. Planet Earth has 1 problem only: overpopulation. Solve that and the others vanish, especially diminishing biological diversity.

gerry, exeter, england.

The only way you'll sort out most problems in this world is to make leaders accountable. Problems like Zimbabwe, Somalia, Burma/Myanmar, North Korea only occur because their leaders are literally allowed to get away with murder. States that don't adhere to a basic standard should be isolated.

David Ashton, Bathurst NSW, Australia

You have to understand what OBAMA stands for, this guy is not like the other leaders who lied to twist a story, he is not running because he has nothing else to do. This guy wants to make a difference to the world, poverty, disease, Education, lead by example, set the standard for the future, change

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK

I have been called a lot of things but (NAIVE) never I am a honest person, I try to live an ordinary life, I do not rob and steal and tell lies. I like people who have my type of standards in life, I respect others, I treat people like I would like to be treated. I am 50 years old well travelled.

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK

Oh Daphne Kenward, you must be so young and naive. You would know otherwise that most politicians tell lies to get elected. Historically, the older wise men/women are the best leaders, not someone who is just a good speaker. Look at Tony Blair's shocking record.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

None of the above. Overpopulation is the Mother of them all.

Gareth, St Albans, UK

I have been keen on OBAMA to be elected in November because he would make a good leader and he understands the issues of this age, he is young enough to be intouch with reality of our era, and raise the issues concerning the people of the world, he speaks about health and it is an important issue.

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK