The future predictions for our civilization are extraordinarily bleak. It portends a ‘dire future’, scientists warn. The prospects for planet Earth “are more dire and dangerous than is generally believed.”
Biodiversity loss and accelerating climate change in the coming decades, along with the ignorance and inaction of the human race, “are threatening the survival of all species, including our own,” say experts including eminent biologists from the Stanford University and UCLA in the United States, and Flinders University in Australia. This has been stated by a team of 17 leading scientists who have evaluated the current state of our civilization.
World leaders ” need a cold shower on the state of our environment, both to plan and to act to avoid a dire future,” the experts continue.
What is the reality?
Researchers have clearly summarized the state of our planet to help clarify the seriousness of the situation hitting us: “Humanity is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity and, with it, the Earth’s ability to support complex life. But most have difficulty understanding the magnitude of this loss, despite the constant erosion of the fabric of human civilization “, clarifies Corey Bradshaw, co-author of the work published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science .
According to experts, the scale of threats to the biosphere and all its life forms is so great that it is difficult to understand even for experts in the field. “The problem is compounded by ignorance and short-term self-interest, with the pursuit of wealth and political interests hampering action that is crucial for survival,” Bradshaw argues.
What happens if we do nothing?
If we do not intervene immediately and, in addition, drastically, we face a future with climate devastation, many more pandemics, tens of millions of environmental migrants … in the next few decades alone.
Too many people have underestimated the severity of the crisis. “What we are saying is terrifying, but we must be frank and vocal if humanity is to understand the enormity of the challenges we face in creating a sustainable future,” the scientists say.
Let us remember that the Earth has experienced five mass extinctions, in which each one has represented a loss of more than 70% of all species on the planet. The most recent was 66 million years ago with the extinction of the dinosaurs. Now, predicted temperature increases and other human attacks on the environment show that approximately 1 million of the planet’s 7 million to 10 million species are threatened with extinction in the coming decades.
Necessary changes
The report, which cites more than 150 studies, suggests concrete changes that could help avoid catastrophe. Among them: ending the use of fossil fuels completely and quickly, strictly regulating markets and property acquisitions, dominating the corporate lobby and empowering women.
Unfortunately, they are pessimistic. “By the time we fully understand the impact of ecological decline, it will be too late,” they conclude.
Referencia: Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Paul R. Ehrlich, Andrew Beattie, Gerardo Ceballos, Eileen Crist, Joan Diamond, Rodolfo Dirzo, Anne H. Ehrlich, John Harte, Mary Ellen Harte, Graham Pyke, Peter H. Raven, William J. Ripple, Frédérik Saltré, Christine Turnbull, Mathis Wackernagel and Daniel T. Blumstein. Underestimating the challenges of avoiding a ghastly future. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419
