A sobering look at global environmental decline

An article by By Joan Lowy entitled, "A sobering look at global environmental decline" reports on an evaluation of the world's major ecosystems called, "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment".

The report -- an attempt to come to grips with the relationships between ecosystems and human well-being -- was written by 1,360 experts from 95 countries and reviewed by 850 experts and government officials.

About 60 percent of the planet's "ecosystem services" -- uses of the natural environment that benefit people, such as freshwater for irrigation or ocean fishing -- are being degraded or used unsustainably, the report said.

"Many of the changes under way to ecosystems are so intense that they are unprecedented," said University of Oregon marine biology professor Jane Lubchenco, a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a contributor to the report. "We are really entering terra incognita here."
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The report was underwritten by the United Nations Environment Program, the World Bank, the U.N. Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, among other government and private organizations.

I've posted a lot of articles about the environment on this site so nothing in this article will be a big surprise to regular readers. I recommend that you read the whole article anyway. I think our awareness needs to be consistently stimulated and reinforced about the immense danger that has come upon us due to humanity's recklessness regarding its care of the earth. Ignorance will not help us. Tuning out this information will not protect us. Only by informing ourselves over and over and then taking action will make enough of a difference to save our species from the extinction that threatens us if we continue the way we are going.

Update: I just found another article on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment which was published in the Independent/UK entitled, "The State of the World? It is on the Brink of Disaster". It is a longer and more thorough article and I really recommend that you read it.