The International Crumbling of Environments
- themidnightmagazin
- Mar 28, 2021
- 2 min read
by Kim Di Angelo
Ecosystems are collapsing, biodiversity is disappearing, oceans are acidifying, and we are running out of time.
Humans have been poisoning the Earth for generations, and we are only 10 years shy of pushing the planet beyond its tipping point. This threatens the biodiversity and structure of all ecosystems, food and water security, and more. The unchecked pollution and destruction of the environment that has gone on for years is causing serious problems now, and will only continue to worsen. So just what have we to lose?
Many, when faced with the staggering facts about the planet’s disappearing biodiversity, feel little more than surface sadness for far-off species that have gone extinct. This is without considering how essential Earth’s biodiversity is to the human race’s survival. Nature has played a role in the various foods, medicine, materials and goods that people take for granted. Biodiversity supports many ecosystems that do many services that are necessary for the survival of all living things like crop pollination, air and water purification, and pest and disease control. Though they play a pivotal role in the lives of all, a report confirms that the number of animal and plant species threatened by extinction is over 1 million. Without prevention actions taken by humans, this number will only continue to increase.
Food and water security is often overlooked, but is greatly threatened by change in climate. The climate that crops are grown greatly affects their yield. Severe droughts, floods, and fires threaten food production on a global scale. These changes in climate also bring with them organisms that are harmful, like heavy rains that provoke locusts. Climate change is greatly affecting the water crisis, which The World Economic Forum ranked #1 in their assessment of global risks. A study done by the International Food Policy Research concluded that by the year 2050, 4.8 billion people will be at risk due to water stress.
As the window for change becomes smaller with every passing minute, the challenge of living a sustainable lifestyle rests on every individual’s shoulders. It is everyone’s responsibility to lead an economic lifestyle to preserve the planet that all living things depend on.
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