Amid the climate breakdown
In the previous post, we explored how we enjoy many luxuries today that were unimaginable just a century or two ago. This is largely due to our virtually unlimited access to energy from carbon, oil, and gas. However, the use of these energy sources has released massive amounts of carbon dioxide, causing the planet's temperature to rise by alredy 1.5ºC compared to pre-industrial times. Currently, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached its highest level in millions of years, and more alarmingly, there are no signs of a slowdown in this increase.
The consequences of climate breakdown are manifesting more and more as rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems. A new study shows that global farming productivity is 21% lower than it could have been without climate change. And these effects are getting worse very fast.
But it’s not just that. The planet is currently also experiencing its sixth mass extinction of species. Despite 30 years of policy interventions aimed at stopping biodiversity loss, the decline in biodiversity shows no signs of slowing down either.
The current rate of extinction is now 100 times that of the previous five mass extinctions. Additionally, this time, there are 8 billion people who deeply depend on the ecosystem services provided by this biodiversity.
Here, it is important not to underscore the interconnectedness of biodiversity loss with global health and economic stability. To understand this very close link, and the intricate relationships we share with other species, it’s important to remember that our bodies contain roughly the same number of human cells as bacterial cells.
Our entire food system also relies on biodiversity, from pollinators to soil microorganisms. Therefore, it is naive to believe that such significant declines in wildlife populations do not have a direct impact on our lives and wellbeing.
The increasing production and release of novel entities in the environment, which can have disruptive effects on the Earth’s system, adds another layer of complexity to the climate crisis. These include radioactive waste, heavy metals, and persistant pollutants, such as toxic chemicals that enter the food chain and microplastics. Just to put an example, the amount of plastic pollution generated by human activity in the oceans has increased more than 200-fold since the 1960s.
The climate breakdown poses an unprecedented threat to life on Earth, and hence, to human societies. Despite knowing this for decades, we have made little significant progress in reversing the situation. What’s even more surprising is that we are accelerating these processes!
How is this possible? I find it incredibly astonishing. Well, the answer lies in our society's insatiable thirst for consumption; in our relentless pursuit of growth.