Prince William warns of climate change emergency
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Humanity’s actions have taken a massive toll on the planet over the past century. A population boom has seen humans encroach into animals’ havens, leading to a decrease in biodiversity. An unrelated report in 2020 from the Living Planet Index stated that human activity has degraded three-quarters of all land and 40 percent of the oceans in just half a century which has massively reduced all species’ habitats.
Additionally, climate change is melting the ice caps and warming the globe, which has also led to increasing extinction rates.
A lack of biodiversity could be devastating for life on Earth, as each species plays its part in the natural cycle of the world.
Now, researchers say humanity is on the brink as a result, and many people are struggling to understand how dire the situation is.
Lead author Professor Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University in Australia, said: “Humanity is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity and, with it, Earth’s ability to support complex life.
“But the mainstream is having difficulty grasping the magnitude of this loss, despite the steady erosion of the fabric of human civilisation.
“In fact, the scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms is so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts.
“The problem is compounded by ignorance and short-term self-interest, with the pursuit of wealth and political interests stymying the action that is crucial for survival.”
Professor Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University added: “Stopping biodiversity loss is nowhere close to the top of any country’s priorities, trailing far behind other concerns such as employment, healthcare, economic growth, or currency stability.
“While it is positive news that President Biden reengaged the US in Paris Climate accord within his first 100 days of office, it is a minuscule gesture given the scale of the challenge.
“Humanity is running an ecological Ponzi scheme in which society robs nature and future generations to pay for short-term economic enhancement today.”
“Most economies operate on the basis that counteraction now is too costly to be politically palatable. Combined with disinformation campaigns to protect short-term profits it is doubtful that the scale of changes we need will be made in time.”
Professor Dan Blumstein from UCLA said: “What we are saying might not be popular, and indeed is frightening. But we need to be candid, accurate, and honest if humanity is to understand the enormity of the challenges we face in creating a sustainable future.
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“Without political will backed by tangible action that scales to the enormity of the problems facing us, the added stresses to human health, wealth, and well-being will perversely diminish our political capacity to mitigate the erosion of the Earth’s life-support system upon which we all depend.
“Human population growth and consumption continues to escalate, and we’re still more focused on expanding human enterprise than we are on devising and implementing solutions to critical issues such as biodiversity loss.
“By the time we fully comprehend the impact of ecological deterioration, it will be too late.
“Without fully appreciating and broadcasting the scale of the problems and the enormity of the solutions required, society will fail to achieve even modest sustainability goals, and catastrophe will surely follow.”
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