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Living beyond our means

Clever humans have found so many ways to grow, build, and put resources to destructive use that we've managed to use up two-thirds of the planet and imperil ten million other species, along with our own. This according to a report backed by 1,360 scientists from 95 countries, which is certain to be controversial, especially in the U.S., where we don't dare put on the brakes for fear of economic losses (thinking of Bush's position on the Kyoto treaty). However it's not the end of the world – without pesky life-forms to muck it up, the planet should do very well, eventually. [Link]

"That is what this assessment has done, and it is a sobering statement with much more red than black on the balance sheet," the scientists warn. "In many cases, it is literally a matter of living on borrowed time. By using up supplies of fresh groundwater faster than they can be recharged, for example, we are depleting assets at the expense of our children."

Flow from rivers has been reduced dramatically. For parts of the year, the Yellow River in China, the Nile in Africa and the Colorado in North America dry up before they reach the ocean. An estimated 90% of the total weight of the ocean's large predators - tuna, swordfish and sharks - has disappeared in recent years. An estimated 12% of bird species, 25% of mammals and more than 30% of all amphibians are threatened with extinction within the next century. Some of them are threatened by invaders.

jon posted this at 11:46 AM
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