Whatever happened to that wise old saying? If we carried this truism like the sacred trust that it is, deep in our consciences and the minds of those we elect to safeguard us, would we have this current dilemma:
Man's catastrophic damage to the environment and disparities between rich and poor head the daunting challenges facing the Rio Summit in June, experts said on Monday.
The summit must sweep away a system that lets reckless growth destroy the planet's health yet fails to help billions in need, they said.
"This century is special in the Earth's history. It is the first when one species -- ours -- has the planet's future in its hands," said Martin Rees of the Royal Society, Britain's academy of sciences.
"We've invented a new geological era: the Anthropocene," he said referring to an epoch shaped by Man, not nature. [...]
"Under a worst-case scenario, it's very likely, I think, that the Earth's system will move to a new state of some sort, with a very severe challenge to contemporary civilisation," said Steffen. "Some people have even talked about a collapse." [...]
The UN's goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is already out of reach, said Bob Watson, former head of the UN's climate panel and chief advisor to Britain's environment ministry, as he presented the laureates' study.
"If you look at the commitments today from governments around the world, we've only got a 50-50 shot at a 3 C (5.4 F) world, almost no chance of a 2 C (3.6 F) world, and to be quite honest I would say it's not unlikely that we will hit a 5 C (9.0 F) world," said Watson.
"That is clearly a world with significant adverse consequences for ecological systems, for socio-economic systems and for human health."
He added: "We have to realise that we are looking at a loss of biodiversity that is unprecedented in the last 65 million years... We are clearly entering the (planet's) sixth mass extinction."
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Where is the Invisible Cosmic Housekeeper when you need her?
"The summit must sweep away a system that lets reckless growth destroy the planet's health yet fails to help billions in need, they said."
ReplyDeleteI wonder how these blatherskites intend to force China,India and the USA to name some to give control to some outside power (the UN) without having a war.As for the UN you just have to look at its record in Africa,Syria Sudan,Somalia etc.Its a joke and will go the way of its predecessor.
GFB:
ReplyDeleteThat is the point though, isn't it? No one is going to do anything and we will obliterate ourselves just like the dinosaurs.
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We are clearly entering the (planet's) sixth mass extinction
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that way. Tragedy of it is that this time, the first as far as we know, when evolved humans, if they had wished to do so, could have acted in such ways as to avoid a 6th Big Exit, stage right.
Maybe we are not the first set of evolved humans to exit though. Maybe this has happened before in much the same pattern. Maybe this is human destiny, to be continued until a different lifeform evolves from the ashes - one with a couple hundred more brain cells.
I would still lead you to The Rational Optimist.
ReplyDeleteI have to stay optimistic and assume that this scenario is not going to take place and yes, you can accuse me of being an ostrich.
ReplyDeleteT:
ReplyDeleteI think I'm fine with extinction too, it is meant to be.
the Big Sleep.
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Ramana:
ReplyDeleteI will do your bidding, sir!
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Irene:
ReplyDeletethere is nothing to be afraid of at all.
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Nothing I can do to change the behaviour of the billions of earthlings who are happily contributing to the approaching termination of the planet (including myself unless I become a hermit and live on berries in a mountain cave). Luckily I'll only be around for a few more years so I'll probably miss the apocalypse.
ReplyDeleteNick:
ReplyDeleteWe are all problem, the solution is on the horizon. Extermination of the pestilential fleas.
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I'm afraid we've banished the Invisible Cosmic Housekeeper - fired her. We don't need her, we can do a better job, we thought.
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