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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/full
Humanity is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity and, with it, Earth's ability to support complex life. But the mainstream is having difficulty grasping the magnitude of this loss, despite the steady erosion of the fabric of human civilization (Ceballos et al., 2015; IPBES, 2019; Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020; WWF, 2020). While suggested solutions abound (Díaz et al., 2019), the current scale of their implementation does not match the relentless progression of biodiversity loss (Cumming et al., 2006) and other existential threats tied to the continuous expansion of the human enterprise (Rees, 2020). Time delays between ecological deterioration and socio-economic penalties, as with climate disruption for example (IPCC, 2014), impede recognition of the magnitude of the challenge and timely counteraction needed. In addition, disciplinary specialization and insularity encourage unfamiliarity with the complex adaptive systems (Levin, 1999) in which problems and their potential solutions are embedded (Selby, 2006; Brand and Karvonen, 2007). Widespread ignorance of human behavior (Van Bavel et al., 2020) and the incremental nature of socio-political processes that plan and implement solutions further delay effective action (Shanley and López, 2009; King, 2016).
We summarize the state of the natural world in stark form here to help clarify the gravity of the human predicament. We also outline likely future trends in biodiversity decline (Díaz et al., 2019), climate disruption (Ripple et al., 2020), and human consumption and population growth to demonstrate the near certainty that these problems will worsen over the coming decades, with negative impacts for centuries to come. Finally, we discuss the ineffectiveness of current and planned actions that are attempting to address the ominous erosion of Earth's life-support system. Ours is not a call to surrender—we aim to provide leaders with a realistic "cold shower" of the state of the planet that is essential for planning to avoid a ghastly future.
Journal Reference:
Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Paul R. Ehrlich, Andrew Beattie. et al. Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future, Frontiers in Conservation Science [OPEN] (DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by turgid on Saturday January 23 2021, @03:59PM (23 children)
I appreciate your sentiments, but I take a different view. The old cliche that "children are the future" is true, and I think it is our responsibility to bring new people into the world who are properly brought up and properly educated to treat the Earth with the respect and care that it needs.
You are right that the human population has increased too rapidly, but the rate of rise is slowing as more countries become developed and people have better education etc.
What annoys me is the large number of seemingly willfully ignorant people who refuse to believe the hard science behind climate change, for example.
I've tried to do my bit, but I know that it's not enough on its own. I have made sure that my house is well insulated to reduce energy usage and both cars we have are hybrids. I've also been working from home for ten months due to the pandemic so I haven't been commuting, I still eat meat, but I have cut down.
We are moving to a different area for a lifestyle change soon, where I'll hopefully be mostly remote working. Next year, if all goes well, I'll be building a new house with triple glazing and a ground source heat pump for heating, and hopefully solar panels too.
We - the human race - really need to step up our efforts to find new ways of producing energy cleanly, and we need to make sure that it's available to all, in all countries. We can't go on burning fossil fuels.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Disagree) by khallow on Saturday January 23 2021, @07:11PM (15 children)
Such as the published factor of three error bar on our estimate of long term climate sensitivity to a doubling of CO2? Or the terrible economic models? There's a lot of exceedingly soft science in the field just from the researchers.
Well, how many centuries or millennia do we have?
(Score: 2) by turgid on Saturday January 23 2021, @07:16PM (14 children)
I might have expected that sort of reply from a far-right Market-worshipping misanthrope. Why am I not surprised?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Touché) by khallow on Saturday January 23 2021, @07:47PM (13 children)
The problems with climate change hysteria go way beyond anything having to do with markets or dubious attitudes towards their fellow humans. It's a pretty pure version of confirmation bias.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 23 2021, @09:48PM
But, the market created khallow? Or is he just an externality?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @12:20AM (11 children)
Oh the irony.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday January 24 2021, @05:33AM (10 children)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @09:39AM (5 children)
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday January 24 2021, @04:05PM (4 children)
You just answered the question. Currently, we just have your word for it.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @10:38PM (3 children)
We've played that game before too, you just evade by spewing more bullshit instead of owning up to anything ever.
Thankfully most users here are not as blinded by their political predilections and are very concerned about the future of our planet. Now we site back and watch you slowly slide into irrelevance as people realize how faulty your confident sounding posts really are.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday January 25 2021, @05:49AM (2 children)
The problem is that there's nothing to "own up to" at present.
Cool fantasy, bro.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 25 2021, @07:30PM (1 child)
We know, you deny all your faults cause yer super wicked smart *eyeroll*
Which step is denial? Shouldn't you almost be over it by now?
(Score: 1, Touché) by khallow on Tuesday January 26 2021, @02:32AM
Smart is relative.
Funny, how you post (and apparently post and post), but never say anything.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @07:19PM (3 children)
You sound like TMB, and I imagine every example of you doing the thing will be met with some gaslighting goal post shifting bullshit and a continuation of your bad faith approach to discussions. Blech
(Score: 1, Touché) by khallow on Tuesday January 26 2021, @02:36AM (2 children)
And because you post anonymously, I can never probe your past words. It's a genuine cowardice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 26 2021, @07:48AM (1 child)
"It's called rational debate."
lol read the mueller report you lying sack of shit
just libertarian after libertarian that aren't real libertarians and too fucking dim to understand their own limitations
(Score: 1, Touché) by khallow on Tuesday January 26 2021, @12:42PM
Why? Page numbers or fuck off. I don't play argument by obfuscation. Nobody including you has ever given me a reason to read that word dump.
Sounds like the problem here is that you are a dishonest idiot. You can fix that. I can't.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 23 2021, @07:42PM (3 children)
LMFAO. "I care about the environment, so I had a kid and bought two cars". You are the problem, fool.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Saturday January 23 2021, @07:58PM (2 children)
Get a grip, brave Mr AC. At least khallow has the guts to troll under his account.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @01:29AM (1 child)
While the AC you are responding to comes across as a dick. There is a valid point in his comment.
The environmental damage from mining, fossil fuel extraction, and CO2 emissions embodied in the manufacturing of two cars is huge, and they being hybrids doesn't make up for that (EV doesn't either).
I bought a small fuel efficient hatchback in an attempt to do less harm (when I purchased it, its lifetime CO2 emissions [including manufacture, operation and disposal] was estimated to be lower than all hybrid passenger cars on the market except one, and that hybrid was more than double the price of the hatchback), but I realize that by purchasing and driving that car, I am contributing to the problem. Not to the degree as the flag waving moron in a giant SUV, but still pushing things in the wrong direction.
I don't think our species has the foresight and willingness to put others' interests (in this case, future generations and other species) ahead of their own, if it means any kind of deprivation. And, I believe it will take a lot more than driving hybrids and small fuel efficient cars, or even EVs to make a material difference in our trajectory.
So, yeah the dick AC is right that even people who care are still not doing what is necessary since that would result in a negative impact upon our lifestyles that we apparently are not willing to make.
- a fellow hypocrite
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 24 2021, @06:59PM
Buying a car at all is just contributing to the problem, as is living in a place where you need to have a car to live a reasonably comfortable life. Humans, by and large, should not own personal cars at all: they should be mostly living in cities (small or large) where the density is high, the city is walkable, and they can get around by walking, cycling, and by train/subway. We have cities like this now, just not in America (except NYC, which isn't doing so hot right now because of long-term mismanagement plus Covid). If you want to see how humans can live very well and without a car, just travel to Japan. There's various cities in Europe that do a reasonably good job too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 24 2021, @12:13AM
Up until the limit at which entitled fatsos in certain developed countries decide to teach the controversy. Fortunately, it seems they are self-limiting too nowadays [worldometers.info].
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 24 2021, @06:54PM (1 child)
You are right that the human population has increased too rapidly, but the rate of rise is slowing as more countries become developed and people have better education etc.
What annoys me is the large number of seemingly willfully ignorant people who refuse to believe the hard science behind climate change, for example.
One problem I see is that these willfully ignorant people are having kids much more than the ones who aren't.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Tuesday January 26 2021, @08:19PM
And the ignorant are winning hands down.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].