The human race is living beyond its means. A report backed by 1,360 scientists from 95 countries - some of them world leaders in their fields - today warns that the almost two-thirds of the natural machinery that supports life on Earth is being degraded by human pressure.
The study contains what its authors call "a stark warning" for the entire world. The wetlands, forests, savannahs, estuaries, coastal fisheries and other habitats that recycle air, water and nutrients for all living creatures are being irretrievably damaged. In effect, one species is now a hazard to the other 10 million or so on the planet, and to itself.
"Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted," it says...
· Because of human demand for food, fresh water, timber, fibre and fuel, more land has been claimed for agriculture in the last 60 years than in the 18th and 19th centuries combined.
· An estimated 24% of the Earth's land surface is now cultivated.
· Water withdrawals from lakes and rivers has doubled in the last 40 years. Humans now use between 40% and 50% of all available freshwater running off the land.
· At least a quarter of all fish stocks are overharvested. In some areas, the catch is now less than a hundredth of that before industrial fishing.
· Since 1980, about 35% of mangroves have been lost, 20% of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed and another 20% badly degraded.
· Deforestation and other changes could increase the risks of malaria and cholera, and open the way for new and so far unknown disease to emerge.
In 1997, a team of biologists and economists tried to put a value on the "business services" provided by nature - the free pollination of crops, the air conditioning provided by wild plants, the recycling of nutrients by the oceans. They came up with an estimate of $33 trillion, almost twice the global gross national product for that year. But after what today's report, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, calls "an unprecedented period of spending Earth's natural bounty" it was time to check the accounts.
It's the goal of the Wrepublican party to privatize all that free air.
Like drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. It won't really add anything significant to decreasing the price of oil, or even holding it down. They just want to do it-
Because they can.
Thanks to rorsach for the links.
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"I don't listen to focus groups. I don't pay attention to polls."
-G.W. Bush
As long as there is one scientist someplace who doesn't agree then they can say it is "controversial".
As long as there are people with no science background reporting on the science they will keep beating this down. And what really pisses me off is when they use a fundamental view of science against them. "Can you say with 100 percent certainty..." of course they can't, 99.8% maybe, but they use this lack of understanding scientific pronouncements against the scientists.
Are living in the future of total recall? The will say, "You want clean air, then you need to pay an Air Tax to fund all your environmental demands. You don't have a right to clean air; it is more of a privilege. I almost hesitate to mention the idea, I’m sure some neo-con will seize the frame and run with it.
LA now has better air that it used to. Did the car makers have to be dragged kicking and screaming into making special cars for California? Yes. Has it made a difference? Yes. Would the “invisible hand" of the market place have done it all by itself? No.
Of course the neo-cons will argue that the screaming is PART of the invisible hand (ignoring the role of the people and government in the process).
As humans we have a hard time looking at long time periods unless we are educated. By ignoring the science and keeping people ignorant they are telling people to just look at the short term.
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