The rapid decline of the natural world

[Harpo]

We Face A Crisis Bigger Than Climate Change, But We're Not Talking About It

A three-year UN-backed study from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform On Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has grim implications for the future of humanity.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

 

[HareBrain]

I'm optimistic in the very long term. In a few million years another biosphere will arise to replace the one we trashed -- and if our current level of consciousness arises again (or miraculously survives) future people won't be able to make the same mistakes, since we've already used all the readily available fossil fuels, and no one will be able to build another industrial civilisation from scratch.

 

[Culhwch]

I'm optimistic in the very long term. In a few million years another biosphere will arise to replace the one we trashed -- and if our current level of consciousness arises again (or miraculously survives) future people won't be able to make the same mistakes, since we've already used all the readily available fossil fuels, and no one will be able to build another industrial civilisation from scratch.

That's quite grim and yet hopeful all at the same time. I like the way you think!

 

[Venusian Broon]

I'm optimistic in the very long term. In a few million years another biosphere will arise to replace the one we trashed -- and if our current level of consciousness arises again (or miraculously survives) future people won't be able to make the same mistakes, since we've already used all the readily available fossil fuels, and no one will be able to build another industrial civilisation from scratch.

That's an excellent point HB. We are merely a tiny blip in the graph of the vast time scale that is life on Earth.

When we talk about ecological collapse, global warming etc... yes there are a lot of negative things happening to the habitat and the species it carries, but the main negative of these disasters are how they impact our ability to run our civilisation. Our demands will change one way or another as time goes by, and eventually it will stop.

(However, if we decide to 'Dyson Swarm' our sun, we may end up taking the Earth apart for it's materials to construct millions upon millions of O'Neill habitats, so that would be pretty one way and very destructive. But then we'd have much more space to put lots of life from the planet...)