The impact of a meteorite? A nuclear war? Despite the popularity of these extreme scenarios, the end of humanity may happen more slowly, as the achievement of several linked and related events.
In fact, it is most likely. This is pointed out by a new report prepared by 222 scientific authorities from 52 countries , and published by Future Earth , an international sustainability research network, on February 12, 2020.
During its more than 50 synthesis pages, the report identifies, specifically, five global risks as the most serious in terms of impact: failure of mitigation and adaptation to climate change; extreme weather events; significant loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse; food crises; and water crisis.
But the report doesn’t just focus on environmental risks; but also, economic and social. More than a third (82) of scientists highlight the threat posed by the interaction of climate hazards with worsening economic crises “in ways that could generate a global systemic crisis.”
An example of how various threats can interact with each other: extreme heat waves can accelerate global warming by releasing large amounts of stored carbon from affected ecosystems, while intensifying water and / or food shortages crises; the loss of biodiversity, for its part, weakens the capacity of natural and agricultural systems to cope with climatic extremes, which would increase vulnerability to food crises.
Additionally, 173 of the scientists surveyed noted other risks as deserving of greater global attention. Common themes included the erosion of trust and social values; deterioration of social infrastructure; political nationalism; overpopulation; and deterioration of mental health.
While acknowledging that we face unprecedented environmental challenges, the author of the introduction to this report, journalist and writer Gaia Vince, is optimistic: “We still have the time and the ability to avoid extreme outcomes.”
The world population is expected to be 9.7 billion by 2050. And the future of all those people depends on the decisions made by today’s international leaders.
But this is not just one more catastrophic report; rather, each chapter explores the causes, consequences, and solutions to apply to each challenge.
We are going to review the threats, divided by chapters, that the report highlights as most pressing for humanity.
More information: Global Risks Perceptions Initiative
