Society Overhaul: UN Reports the Need to Change Society to Keep Nature Flourishing

We have made the Earth increasingly unlivable with the climate crisis, pollution, biodiversity loss, and so much more. A report from the United Nations calls on a complete overhaul in society, economics, and especially daily life to have any hope of salvaging what's left of nature.

The UN report combines intertwined environmental crises and warns the world that we have to make drastic changes in how nations value economic output, government taxes, power generation, fisheries and farming, our diets, and how people get around.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General says, "Without nature's help, we will not thrive or even survive."

What is the Climate Crisis?

Gutteres says, "The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win."

Climate change is a defining crisis that is happening more rapidly than predicted. The devastating consequences of climate change make no corner of the globe safe. Earth's average temperature is now roughly 15 degrees Celsius which is significantly higher than in the past.

Although fluctuations in global temperatures are normal, the trend of today's global temperatures is rising faster than anticipated which is causing severe changes in the landscapes, waterways, and biodiversity.

Because of anthropogenic lifestyles, billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere annually. Fossil fuels, electricity, cars, and even your refrigerator contribute to the already worrying degree of man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The Met Office UK predicts that by 2021, atmospheric CO2 is set to increase by up to 50%.

The climate crisis isn't only making the planet hotter, but it has significant effects on all life. The global temperature rise has triggered major coral bleaching events in many of the reefs across the globe.

Food and water security are down in many parts of the globe due to soil erosion, droughts, and unexpected weather patterns.

Worrying Statistics

The UN reports highlight frightening statistics that have been brought together by co-author Rachel Warren.

• The planet is nearing an additional 3.5 degree Celsius increase in global temperatures,

• Annually, 9 million people across the globe die from pollution,

• Up to 400 million tons of toxic sludge, heavy metals, and industrial wastes are dumped in the world's waters yearly,

• Roughly 1 million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction,

• More than 3 billion people are affected by land degradation, with only 15% of wetlands remain intact.

Rosina Bierbaum, a contributor to the report and a professor at the University of Michigan says, "there is no time for linear thinking or tackling problems one at a time."

The UN report and scientists from all over the globe stress the urgency of the situation. Overall, changes in human lifestyle are needed in order to gain equal footing with the devastation of the climate crisis.

Guterres says that governments are spending more on subsidies that further damage the environment instead of finding ways to protect it.

Check out more news and information on Climate Change on Science Times.