U.N. reports: Outlook bleak if society doesn’t change
WASHINGTON — Earth is losing plants, animals and clean water at a dramatic rate, according to four new United Nations scientific reports that provide the most comprehensive and localized look at the state of biodiversity.
Scientists meeting in Colombia issued four regional reports Friday on how well animal and plants are doing in the Americas; Europe and Central Asia; Africa; and the Asia-Pacific area.
Their conclusion after three years of study — nowhere is doing well.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem was about more than just critters, said study team chairman Robert Watson. It is about keeping Earth livable for humans because we rely on biodiversity for food, clean water and public health, the prominent British and U.S. scientist said.
“This is undermining well-being across the planet, threatening us long-term on food and water,” Watson said
Scientists pointed to this week’s death of the last male northern white rhino in Africa, severe declines in the numbers of elephants, tigers and pangolins, but said those are only the most visible and charismatic of species that are in trouble.
What’s happening is a side effect of the world getting wealthier and more crowded with people, Watson said.
Crucial habitat has been cut apart, alien species have invaded places, chemicals have hurt plants and animals, wetlands and mangroves that clean up pollution are disappearing, and the world’s waters are overfished, he said.
Man-made climate change is getting worse, and global warming will soon hurt biodiversity as much as all the other problems combined, Watson said.
“We keep making choices to borrow from the future to live well today,” said Jake Rice, Canada’s chief government scientist for fisheries and oceans, who co-chaired the Americas report. Among the regional findings:
If current trends continue, by the year 2050 the Americas will have 15 percent fewer plants and animals than now. That means there will be 40 percent fewer plants and animals in the Americas than in the early 1700s.
If trends continue, there will be no “exploitable fish stocks” for commercial fishing by 2048 and the region will lose 45 percent of its biodiversity and about 90 percent of its crucial corals, said Asia cochair Sonali Seneratna Sellamuttu, a senior researcher at the International Water Management Institute.
Even though it is the region that Watson said may be doing the best, 28 percent of the species that only live in Europe are now threatened.
Africa could lose half of some bird and mammal species by 2100.
While scientists said society needs to change its ways, individuals can use less energy, less water and eat less red meat, Watson said. The outlook is bleak if society doesn’t change, but it still can, he said.