A special insight on species extinction
Last week in Paris, more than 100 nations signed onto a massive study on the future of the Earth鈥檚 ecosystem. The study鈥檚 key forecast, based on years of research: About an eighth of plant and animal species face extinction, many 鈥渨ithin decades.鈥�
Yet beyond the shock of this 鈥済rim鈥� estimate, the report also offered ways to regain an equilibrium between humans and nature. Its first recommendation: transform humanity鈥檚 diverse 鈥渧isions of a good life.鈥�
Different societies, it acknowledged, have differing ideas of how much either material or spiritual 鈥渃omponents鈥� determine the quality of existence. The report suggests people adopt a vision that does not 鈥渆ntail ever-increasing material consumption.鈥�
Progress itself, in other words, must be redefined from 鈥渢he current limited paradigm鈥� of economic output 鈥� which has grown fourfold since 1970 while world population has doubled.
鈥淏usiness as usual is a disaster,鈥� said Sir Robert Watson, co-author of the study and chair of the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Instead, people must start to factor in the nearly immeasurable contributions of the natural world into concepts of wealth, such as the inspiration it provides and its support of individual identity. 鈥淭he diversity of nature maintains humanity鈥檚 ability to choose alternatives in the face of an uncertain future,鈥� the study states. This so-called natural capital, while difficult to quantify, can be a foundation for slowing the extinction of species.
The approach already has a strong foothold. More than 15% of land is protected from most human activity. In addition, indigenous people remain a model for conservation. About a quarter of land or water is under the care of indigenous peoples, much of it in better ecological shape than other parts of the world.
The report is the UN鈥檚 first comprehensive overview of biological diversity. It comes ahead of a meeting this fall of nations that have signed up for a global treaty on the topic and that seek a consensus on conservation. Mr. Watson says changing the way land and water is used can 鈥渉elp us have a better quality of life.鈥� But first the stewards of the environment must rethink their definition of a rewarding life.
