Holocene extinction – Debate Environmental Tales

Past 100-200 years the global rate of extinction has risen to be 100-1 000 times faster than “normal” rate. Many terrestrial and marine life forms have disappeared due to:

human overpopulation
growing consumption

Industrialisation and urbanisation have disconnected us from nature and its cycles. Advances in sciences have speeded up ventures to seek and conquer virgin lands to feed and satisfy the increasing needs of multiplied population. Capital intensive thinking and fossil fuels have made far-away natural resources exploitable in search of economic and social well-being.

Rate of population growth has already decreased, but as humanity doubled in past fifty years to over 8 billion, we still are abundant species. Regarding the other reason of current mass extinction there is some progress, too, but in the end our global operative system bases on the idea of “continuous growth”, which is impossible scenario in a closed system like our planet.

When the “Limits of Growth” are met, system level change will happen – to ecosystem and economic system. First one is speeding, second not.

Consider:

Since humanity has caused current extinction, we CAN also stop it.

We are over 8 billion people, so changes in what we eat, buy and how we live and commute do really matter. We are past waiting; all of us need to take small steps daily and plan for larger steps on longer run.

Tasks:

1. What is YOUR climate action of TODAY?

Looking at the image above, could it have something to do with your meal? Can you share the act with someone?

2. What will you do differently – or leave undone NEXT WEEK?

Could you pick more nature friendly entertainment, transport or meal?

3. How can you have more climate friendly holiday NEXT YEAR?

How can you travel with less carbon emissions? Can you choose holiday activities and destinations, that are more climate and nature friendly, than this year? Could you somehow help wildlife?

4. How could you change your life to consume less Earth’s resources?

Could you buy less and repair more? How could you contribute on reconstituting nature close to you?

Links – read more about current mass extinction:

Origins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction#Background

History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction#Contemporary_extinction

Politics: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

What to do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction#Mitigation

Long article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction

Take action:

United Nations: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/

Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/69582/world-leaders-actors-activists-and-athletes-around-the-world-are-asking-you-to-cut-plastic-production/

Extinction rebellion: https://rebellion.global