NEWS coming from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) last month concluded that the world has no chance to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels and that this “climate overshoot” threshold will be reached within the next few years.
The reason why the 1.5 C “red line” was emphasized is because beyond that temperature increase, severe impacts from global warming will be felt in different parts of the world.
Altered weather problems will lead to droughts and heat waves in some places, more severe storms/typhoons in others, ocean acidification and coral die-off that will profoundly affect food supplies. The worst is the massive melting of polar ice and continental glaciers.
Concomitant with biodiversity loss is habitat destruction. As more and more people need space, damaging human activities continue to encroach on natural environments, thereby destroying the habitats of countless species. As the population increases, cities and industrial areas are growing, fragmenting the remaining habitat and leaving “isolated islands” of natural populations of plants and animals, which are too small to survive.
Research shows that only one quarter of land areas and one-third of oceans remain undamaged by human activity. Mankind is also putting heavy pressure on populations of the wild species both by meat-hunting and large-scale industrial fishing. Increased hunting has also reduced the number of waterbirds and rare marine species (dugong, dolphins and sea turtles). Wildlife poaching and trafficking, as well as intensive harvesting of aquatic resources, including aquatic vegetation, also present threats to many species. Another is agriculture intensification to meet the needs of the overgrown population for food.
Moreover, the planet is on the verge of a climate catastrophe due to endless production of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane). In this regard, the impact of climate change on human health, on the other hand, is varied. Sunburn of our lungs happens when we inhale smog, which causes chest pain, coughing and difficulty breathing. It triggers asthma attacks, exacerbating conditions of bronchitis and emphysema. Extreme high temperature contributes directly to death from cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
It is now commonly known that floods contaminate freshwater supplies, heightening the risk of waterborne diseases (e.g., leptospirosis). A lack of safe drinking water can compromise hygiene and increase the risk of diarrheal disease.
With biodiversity in our ecosystem, the result is a greener environment. In addition, a healthy ecosystem can help reduce the risk of all diseases and the way people respond to them. Environmental changes brought about by climate are regulated because of biodiversity.
Culture too is enriched through biodiversity because it involves the existence of numerous species and people in our environment. In short, the ecosystem becomes the hallmark of biodiversity as it helps sustain the lives of diverse living things.
We should therefore work toward maintaining biodiversity and find solutions to prevent its decline resulting to loss. Best of all, do no harm. Instead of being contributors to the earth’s destruction, we should all genuinely fulfill our duties of being the “stewards of nature” through collective action with patience and forbearance.
Corollary to stewardship is pursuance of a healthy environment as a hard law binding on all signatory states. In that regard, the global green recovery the world needs to rebuild society takes both biodiversity and the climate emergencies into account.
