Summit to save the planet

In the lavish Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, representatives of nearly 200 countries assemble to confer in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in a global attempt to address the myriad problems of Earth and its people from Aug. 26 through Sept. 4.

Besides sincere hopes pouring in from across the world for its success, the summit is also receiving strong criticism and pressure from various groups, which is only natural because not all interests can be served. But the summit is ongoing, so there is still hope.

The pictures below are images from events surrounding the meeting, which is expected by many to be more fruitful than the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.