The letter appeared in the journal BioScience, and its message is (understandably) dire. "Humanity has failed to make sufficient progress in generally solving these foreseen environmental challenges, and alarmingly, most of them are getting far worse," it says. "Soon it will be too late to shift course away from our failing trajectory."

There isn't much in the way of good news here. Not only have the issues identified in the original letter gotten worse, but a whole new host of problems have emerged. From access to clean water to a population explosion, things aren't looking great. The only issue that has improved is the hole in the ozone layer, which has shrunk considerably.

However, all is not lost, at least not yet. Scientists outline 13 things we can do in the very near future to correct our course. These include developing more environmentally friendly tech, creating nature reserves and putting economic policies into place that will change our consumption habits. The paper also announces the establishment of the Alliance of World Scientists, which will "develop clear, trackable, and practical solutions while communicating trends and needs to world leaders." Let's just hope it's not too late.