TY - JOUR
T1 - Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future
AU - Bradshaw, Corey
AU - Ehrlich, Paul
AU - Beattie, Andrew
AU - Ceballos, Gerardo
AU - Crist, Eileen
AU - Diamond, Joan
AU - Dirzo, Rodolfo
AU - Ehrlich, Anne
AU - Harte, John
AU - Harte, Mary Ellen
AU - Pyke, Graham
AU - Raven, Peter
AU - Ripple, William
AU - Saltre, Frederik
AU - Turnbull, Christine
AU - Wackernagel, Mathis
AU - Blumstein, Daniel
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - We report three major and confronting environmental issues that have received little attention and require urgent action. First, we review the evidence that future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed. The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms—including humanity—is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts. Second, we ask what political or economic system, or leadership, is prepared to handle the predicted disasters, or even capable of such action. Third, this dire situation places an extraordinary responsibility on scientists to speak out candidly and accurately when engaging with government, business, and the public. We especially draw attention to the lack of appreciation of the enormous challenges to creating a sustainable future. The added stresses to human health, wealth, and well-being will perversely diminish our political capacity to mitigate the erosion of ecosystem services on which society depends. The science underlying these issues is strong, but awareness is weak. Without fully appreciating and broadcasting the scale of the problems and the enormity of the solutions required, society will fail to achieve even modest sustainability goals.
AB - We report three major and confronting environmental issues that have received little attention and require urgent action. First, we review the evidence that future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed. The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms—including humanity—is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts. Second, we ask what political or economic system, or leadership, is prepared to handle the predicted disasters, or even capable of such action. Third, this dire situation places an extraordinary responsibility on scientists to speak out candidly and accurately when engaging with government, business, and the public. We especially draw attention to the lack of appreciation of the enormous challenges to creating a sustainable future. The added stresses to human health, wealth, and well-being will perversely diminish our political capacity to mitigate the erosion of ecosystem services on which society depends. The science underlying these issues is strong, but awareness is weak. Without fully appreciating and broadcasting the scale of the problems and the enormity of the solutions required, society will fail to achieve even modest sustainability goals.
KW - sustainability
KW - extinction
KW - climate change
KW - political will
KW - human population
KW - consumption
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/ARC/CE170100015
U2 - 10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419
DO - 10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419
M3 - Article
VL - 1
JO - Frontiers in Conservation Science
JF - Frontiers in Conservation Science
M1 - 615419
ER -