Halt Destruction Of Nature Or Suffer Even Worse Pandemics, Say World's Top Scientists
Source: The Guardian
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to be followed by even more deadly and destructive disease outbreaks unless their root cause the rampant destruction of the natural world is rapidly halted, the worlds leading biodiversity experts have warned.
There is a single species responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic us, they said. Recent pandemics are a direct consequence of human activity, particularly our global financial and economic systems that prize economic growth at any cost. We have a small window of opportunity, in overcoming the challenges of the current crisis, to avoid sowing the seeds of future ones.
Professors Josef Settele, Sandra Díaz and Eduardo Brondizio led the most comprehensive planetary health check ever undertaken, which was published in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). It concluded that human society was in jeopardy from the accelerating decline of the Earths natural life-support systems.
In an article published on Monday, with Dr Peter Daszak, who is preparing the next IPBES assessment, they write: Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a perfect storm for the spillover of diseases....
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/halt-destruction-nature-worse-pandemics-top-scientists
The experts said these activities cause pandemics by bringing more people into contact and conflict with animals, from which 70% of emerging human diseases originate.
This combined with urbanisation and explosive growth of global air travel enabled a harmless virus in Asian bats to bring untold human suffering and halt economies and societies around the world. This is the human hand in pandemic emergence. Yet [Covid-19] may be only the beginning.
Future pandemics are likely to happen more frequently, spread more rapidly, have greater economic impact and kill more people if we are not extremely careful about the possible impacts of the choices we make today, they said.
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)that got too big for its breeches?
Here we go. Here is at least the beginning of our answer.
The minute we allowed idiots like the Republicans to deny science and go on as they please, we had to know something horrible was coming. We just sit back and watch them drill everywhere, hunt endangered species, refuse to acknowledge the science of global warming and climate change, and all of the other Earth-destroying crap they do and now, here we are. It's only going to get worse.
And on top of that, these jerks are spreading it everywhere with their stupid temper tantrums (those rallies) while carrying their blankies (guns). That is NOT helping. Humans: the species that stupided itself to death.
sprinkleeninow
(20,246 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,001 posts)sprinkleeninow
(20,246 posts)Beats the hell outta me.
appalachiablue
(41,131 posts)There's still some time, not much but all we have..
cilla4progress
(24,731 posts)percent.
Only a matter of time.
relayerbob
(6,544 posts)Radical environmentalists launched covid to enact their terrible plan to create global warming, and otherwise change the shape of our flat earth.
That said, I agree 1000000% with the article
Lulu KC
(2,565 posts)flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)If we are to survive, we need to change now.
2naSalit
(86,600 posts)niyad
(113,302 posts)C Moon
(12,213 posts)California_Republic
(1,826 posts)We are an infection. The world has a fever.
So said a scientist I saw on a nature show.
cstanleytech
(26,291 posts)and stopped things like mining and logging as well as gave up all on our technology.
Granted they might not spread as fast but they would still be a problem.
pazzyanne
(6,552 posts)It's too bad that John Q Public has not been more receptive. Humans never learn.
Marcuse
(7,480 posts)If the pathogen hasn't been in contact with humans for a long time, then our immune system would not be prepared. So yes, that could be dangerous.[link:https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/global-warming-ancient-viruses-expose-dormant-thousands-fortitude-years-scientists-warn-a7719201.html|
Withywindle
(9,988 posts)Sometimes I think it would be fine if we died out and let all the other species that call this pale blue dot home have a chance to recover. We're not the center of the universe.
sprinkleeninow
(20,246 posts)without humans on earth, but not vice versa. Hmm..
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,001 posts)... despite what the self-styled christian dominionists would like everyone to believe.
Lulu KC
(2,565 posts)It's a suicide/homicide mission, because there seems to be a failure to grasp cause and effect unless the results are immediate and tangible.
However, now that I'm seeing the response to COVID-19, the results can be right there, blatantly obvious, and still. No grasping.
I need to find a list of synonyms for the word idiot. I use it far too often.
bucolic_frolic
(43,158 posts)to fatten their bank accounts.
This is a cull the species pandemic. I don't think there is anything that will stop it. It simply is going to play out. God is pissed to be blunt about it.
JCMach1
(27,558 posts)Did for bush meat.
It's an international health issue.